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Suicide bomber kills seven in Nigeria’s north-east

Monday July 23 2018
NigeriaPHYSEA

Nigeria. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By MOHAMMED MOMOH

Nigeria's protracted war against insurgents suffered another blow when a suicide bomber killed at least seven worshippers at a Mosque in Konduga, north-east of Borno State on Monday.

The head of Borno State Emergency Management Agency (Sema), Mr Bello Dambatta, confirmed the attack, explaining that several other people suffered various degrees of injuries.

He said the injured had been taken to the Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, for treatment.

The head of a local vigilance group, Mr Ali Kolo, was quoted saying the male attacker struck during the early morning prayers.

He said the bomber detonated the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) strapped to his body during the congregational prayer, causing the deaths and injuries to seven other people, including a child.

Infiltrated the town

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Mr Kolo explained that the suicide bomber had sneaked into the mosque at Mainari area undetected.

“It is not clear how the suicide bomber infiltrated the town and attacked the mosque.

“The building collapsed during the explosion, and the victims were evacuated from the rubble,” he said.

Meanwhile, troops of 233 Battalion deployed in Operation Lafiya Dole have reported killing scores of the Boko Haram insurgents in a counter ambush along Sasawa Road in Babangida Local Government Area of Yobe State.

The patrol troops

The Operation Lafiya Dole spokesman, Col Onyema Nwachukwu, said the troops encountered the insurgents at about 12:30pm on Sunday while on patrol.

The army, he said, received information that the insurgents were to attack and loot the nearby Babangida market but they aborted the mission and staged the ambush after getting wind of the troops’ patrol.

The troops also recorded some undisclosed casualties.

“Additional troops have been drafted to the area to reinforce the patrol troops, while the Air Task Force is on aerial surveillance of the area to track down fleeing insurgent survivors,” he said.

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