MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Sept. 21 (UPI) — At least 55 people died and 85 others injured in three bomb blasts blamed on Boko Haram in Maiduguri, Nigeria.
The bombs detonated simultaneously Saturday at a mosque, a dining area and a computer games center, pro-government militia leader Hassan Ibrahim said. Nigerian army spokesman Col. Sani Usman confirmed the attacks, saying they “signify a high level of desperation on the part of the Boko Haram terrorists,” though there has been no claim of responsibility from any group.
Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group, was founded in Maiduguri, in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno state.
The army announced it captured the villages of Jerre and Dipchari from Boko Haram occupation over the weekend, and rescued 62 people escaping from the villages of Bitti and Pulka in what it termed an assault for “the final defeat of the Boko Haram terrorists.”
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has called for an end to the Boko Haram insurgency, which seeks to establish Islamic rule in northeastern Nigeria. The six-year conflict has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 2 million in three countries.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.