Maiduguri—Nigerian soldiers,
yesterday, shot dead a suspected suicide bomber outside a Military base
in Maiduguri, Borno State, a civilian vigilante and a military source
told newsmen. The shooting detonated explosives concealed in her
handbag.
The target was thought to be the Maimalari Army Barracks, the main
military base in Maiduguri, which had been hit repeatedly in recent
months by Boko Haram terrorists.
Babakura
Kolo, from the civilian volunteer force assisting troops against the
rebels, said: “Soldiers at Maimalari Army Barracks this morning
(yesterday) foiled a suicide attack by a female bomber.
“The woman approached the barracks around 7a.m. and headed towards the gates.
“Guards at the gates asked her to stop for security checks, but she
ignored them and continued walking towards the gates, a handbag slung
over her shoulder.
“One of the soldiers opened fire on the woman and the handbag exploded, blowing the woman to pieces.”
There were no other casualties in the explosion, which one military
officer in the city described as an “attempted suicide attack by Boko Haram terrorists.”
Boko Haram has intensified its use of multiple suicide
bombers to inflict maximum casualties, with secondary explosions
detonated as people rush to help victims of the initial blast.
No fewer than 34 people were killed in a wave of attacks last
Thursday night and Friday morning on the outskirts of Maiduguri, while
last month 117 died in explosions in the Ajilari Cross area of the Borno
State capital.
Of the six suicide attacks this month, four have been in Maiduguri, killing about 48 and injuring 99.
The military source, who requested anonymity, said the use of human bombs was a sign of the group’s desperation and frustration.
“They are looking for every opportunity to hit back, which is why
they have resorted to soft-target attacks on mosques and markets and
such attacks on a military base is intended to show the terrorists are
still strong,” the officer added.
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