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| Nigeria Mosque Targeted in Deadly Suicide Bombing | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| ABUJA, Nigeria — A suicide bomber set off explosives on Tuesday during morning prayers in a small, crowded mosque in northeastern Nigeria in a deadly attack that comes amid a raft of similar assaults on rural communities in the region. | ABUJA, Nigeria — A suicide bomber set off explosives on Tuesday during morning prayers in a small, crowded mosque in northeastern Nigeria in a deadly attack that comes amid a raft of similar assaults on rural communities in the region. |
| Othman Abubakar, a spokesman for the police in Adamawa State, where the attack took place, said at least 50 people had been killed. Late in the day Tuesday the national emergency management agency said it had confirmed 23 deaths. Other officials could not confirm the death toll but blamed Boko Haram for the blast. | Othman Abubakar, a spokesman for the police in Adamawa State, where the attack took place, said at least 50 people had been killed. Late in the day Tuesday the national emergency management agency said it had confirmed 23 deaths. Other officials could not confirm the death toll but blamed Boko Haram for the blast. |
| President Muhammadu Buhari issued a statement calling the attack “very cruel and dastardly.” | President Muhammadu Buhari issued a statement calling the attack “very cruel and dastardly.” |
| Boko Haram, a radical Islamist group that has waged war for the past eight years in Nigeria and in neighboring countries, has dispatched suicide bombers in a wave of attacks in the past year on mosques, checkpoints, markets and even camps for some of the nearly two million people uprooted from their homes because of the conflict. | Boko Haram, a radical Islamist group that has waged war for the past eight years in Nigeria and in neighboring countries, has dispatched suicide bombers in a wave of attacks in the past year on mosques, checkpoints, markets and even camps for some of the nearly two million people uprooted from their homes because of the conflict. |
| Most of those bombers, many of whom are women and children, have been sent to attack Maiduguri, which is the capital of the Nigerian state of Borno and was the city where the Boko Haram movement was founded. But recently, assaults have also been carried out in towns and villages across the countryside and in small settlements in neighboring countries. | Most of those bombers, many of whom are women and children, have been sent to attack Maiduguri, which is the capital of the Nigerian state of Borno and was the city where the Boko Haram movement was founded. But recently, assaults have also been carried out in towns and villages across the countryside and in small settlements in neighboring countries. |
| The attack on Tuesday took place in Mubi, not far from the border with Cameroon. Mubi, home to a top state university, is among a number of towns and villages where Boko Haram fighters once held control. But security forces ousted the militants three years ago, and the area has been relatively calm for months. Boko Haram’s recent attacks in the state had taken place farther to the north. | The attack on Tuesday took place in Mubi, not far from the border with Cameroon. Mubi, home to a top state university, is among a number of towns and villages where Boko Haram fighters once held control. But security forces ousted the militants three years ago, and the area has been relatively calm for months. Boko Haram’s recent attacks in the state had taken place farther to the north. |
| Photographs circulated by the online news organization Sahara Reporters, and said to be from the attack in Mubi, showed blood smeared across a concrete room where charred marks radiated from a hole in the wall, and damaged beams hanging from a ceiling that appeared to have been blown apart. | Photographs circulated by the online news organization Sahara Reporters, and said to be from the attack in Mubi, showed blood smeared across a concrete room where charred marks radiated from a hole in the wall, and damaged beams hanging from a ceiling that appeared to have been blown apart. |
| Mr. Abubakar, the police spokesman, said the assailant was a male teenager. He said the attacker had walked into the mosque and joined the worshipers crowded inside the small room. | Mr. Abubakar, the police spokesman, said the assailant was a male teenager. He said the attacker had walked into the mosque and joined the worshipers crowded inside the small room. |
| Adamu Ngoshe, a 62-year-old who sells cigarettes at a market in Mubi, said he went to the mosque after hearing about the blast to check on the father of a fellow market vendor who was visiting from out of town and staying near the mosque. | Adamu Ngoshe, a 62-year-old who sells cigarettes at a market in Mubi, said he went to the mosque after hearing about the blast to check on the father of a fellow market vendor who was visiting from out of town and staying near the mosque. |
| When he arrived, he couldn’t bear what he saw. Mr. Ngoshe counted 30 or maybe 40 injured people. Some had no legs, others had no hands. He saw children as young as 3 years old bleeding from the head. | When he arrived, he couldn’t bear what he saw. Mr. Ngoshe counted 30 or maybe 40 injured people. Some had no legs, others had no hands. He saw children as young as 3 years old bleeding from the head. |
| “I came and saw everyone scattered around, people were running, some people were bleeding and some others dead,” Mr. Ngoshe said. “It was bad, very terrible.” | “I came and saw everyone scattered around, people were running, some people were bleeding and some others dead,” Mr. Ngoshe said. “It was bad, very terrible.” |
| He left for the hospital and found his friend’s father there, alive but badly wounded. | He left for the hospital and found his friend’s father there, alive but badly wounded. |
| The Nigerian military has made gains fighting Boko Haram, hunting out militants from forest hide-outs. The suicide attacks are probably a sign that the group has been weakened and can no longer organize major assaults, military officials have said. | The Nigerian military has made gains fighting Boko Haram, hunting out militants from forest hide-outs. The suicide attacks are probably a sign that the group has been weakened and can no longer organize major assaults, military officials have said. |
| But in recent months, the militants appear to have regained some strength, attacking a military convoy and retaking areas the security forces had once liberated. | But in recent months, the militants appear to have regained some strength, attacking a military convoy and retaking areas the security forces had once liberated. |