Nigeria Suicide Bomber Attacks Religious Ceremony Killing 15, Boko Haram Likely Responsible
- Updated Nov 03, 2014
Fifteen people were killed by a suicide bomber at a Shia religious ceremony in a Nigerian city. According to a Shia leader, security forces then shot and killed another five people. Another 50 people are thought to have been wounded by the bomb.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it’s likely that it was militant group Boko Haram, a group that denounces Shias as non-Muslims.
The worshippers were marching for Ashura, a solemn day when Shias mourn the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
“It was a huge crowd and many of them were affected,” a police officer said.
Resident Yusuf Abdullahi told Reuters the explosion was near his house. "I heard a very heavy explosion as if it happened in my room," he said.
Boko Haram has killed some 2,000 civilians this year, according to reports. The group has targeted Christians and rival Muslim groups.
The group has been blamed for bombing an open-air mosque in Potiskum that killed four. The group has also abducted more than 200 schoolgirls.
Publication date: November 3, 2014
