Suspected Female Bomber Kills 12, Injures Dozens in Borno, Nigeria
Authorities say woman detonated explosive in crowded market; over 30 injured in Borno State blast
- 12 killed, over 30 injured in a suspected suicide bombing at a fish market in Borno State
- Attacker believed to be a woman wearing an improvised explosive device
- Borno remains a hotspot of Boko Haram insurgency, active for over 16 years
A deadly explosion rocked a busy fish market in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno state on Friday night, after a suspected female suicide bomber detonated an improvised explosive device, police confirmed Saturday.
According to Borno state police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso, the assailant entered the crowded market with the device strapped to her body before triggering the blast, killing at least 12 people and injuring many others.
Authorities reported that the wounded victims were swiftly transported to nearby hospitals for treatment. However, local witnesses estimate that the number of injured may be as high as 30.
Borno state has long been the epicenter of a brutal insurgency led by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
The ongoing conflict, now in its 16th year, has resulted in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of over 2 million people, according to humanitarian organizations.
