Maiduguri, Nigeria — At least 23 people were killed and 108 wounded in suspected suicide bombings Monday night that struck Maiduguri, the capital of northeastern Borno state, police said Tuesday. Authorities described the attacks as among the deadliest in the city in recent years.
Residents and emergency responders told The Associated Press they heard three explosions in crowded areas, including a major market and at the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Borno police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso said in a statement that suspected suicide bombers were responsible.
No group immediately claimed responsibility, but suspicion fell on Boko Haram, which launched an insurgency in 2009 to enforce its strict interpretation of Shariah. The group has since fragmented and grown stronger in parts of the region, with factions aligned with the Islamic State also active in West Africa.
Maiduguri has been the epicenter of much of the violence but had seen relative calm in recent years even as extremists continued to attack rural areas. Residents described chaos after the blasts; Mohammed Hassan, a volunteer who assists security forces, said the attack “has been one of the deadliest in Maiduguri in years” and appealed for blood donations for the wounded.
Extremist fighters have stepped up attacks on Nigerian military bases in recent months, killing senior officers and soldiers and seizing weapons and ammunition, complicating efforts to secure the region. Authorities are investigating the bombings as the city and national security forces seek to prevent further strikes.