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| Nigeria: Maiduguri police HQ bomb kills five | Nigeria: Maiduguri police HQ bomb kills five |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A suicide car bomb outside police headquarters in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri has killed at least five people, police say. | A suicide car bomb outside police headquarters in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri has killed at least five people, police say. |
| Following the blast, security forces in the city stormed a suspected hideout of the Islamist Boko Haram group, prompting a fierce gun battle, police sources told the BBC. | Following the blast, security forces in the city stormed a suspected hideout of the Islamist Boko Haram group, prompting a fierce gun battle, police sources told the BBC. |
| There is a huge security presence in Maiduguri, which is the stronghold of Boko Haram. | There is a huge security presence in Maiduguri, which is the stronghold of Boko Haram. |
| No group has yet claimed the attack. | No group has yet claimed the attack. |
| However, Boko Haram - whose name means "No to Western education" - has targeted police stations, schools and other government buildings in the last 21 months. | However, Boko Haram - whose name means "No to Western education" - has targeted police stations, schools and other government buildings in the last 21 months. |
| The group wants to impose Sharia law across Nigeria. | The group wants to impose Sharia law across Nigeria. |
| Toll may rise | |
| "Many people, mostly members of the police which include men and women were killed in the explosion," eyewitness Ali Alhaji told Reuters. | "Many people, mostly members of the police which include men and women were killed in the explosion," eyewitness Ali Alhaji told Reuters. |
| Security sources said the death toll may rise. | Security sources said the death toll may rise. |
| Five people were killed - the bomber, one policeman and three civilians, a police spokesman in Maiduguri told the BBC. | |
| Twelve people were injured, five of them police, he added. | Twelve people were injured, five of them police, he added. |
| Boko Haram first came to prominence in 2009 when hundreds of its followers were killed when they attacked police stations in Maiduguri. | Boko Haram first came to prominence in 2009 when hundreds of its followers were killed when they attacked police stations in Maiduguri. |
| Its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, was arrested but died in police custody. | Its founder, Mohammed Yusuf, was arrested but died in police custody. |
| In 2010 the group started to stage drive-by shootings on government targets in revenge for his killing. | In 2010 the group started to stage drive-by shootings on government targets in revenge for his killing. |
| Last year, it carried out suicide bombings on high-profile targets such as the headquarters of the UN and police in the capital, Abuja. | Last year, it carried out suicide bombings on high-profile targets such as the headquarters of the UN and police in the capital, Abuja. |
| Boko Haram said it carried out a suicide bomb attack last Sunday on a church in Bauchi city which killed 12 people, the BBC's Will Ross in Lagos reports. | |
| A spokesman for the group issued a statement this week rejecting the idea of peace talks with the government, he adds. | A spokesman for the group issued a statement this week rejecting the idea of peace talks with the government, he adds. |