Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
A powerful explosion rocked a mosque in the city of Maiduguri,
Nigeria
northeast, when the congregation was gathering to perform Maghrib prayers, Wednesday (24/12).
Launch
Al Jazeera
, this explosion incident reportedly killed at least eight people and injured dozens of others.
The explosion occurred at around 18.00 local time at a mosque located in the Gamboru Market area, Maiduguri, Borno state.Eyewitnesses described the tense situation when a loud bang tore through the building in the midst of solemn worship.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Local police spokesperson, Nahum Daso, confirmed the incident and stated that an explosives disposal (EOD) team had been deployed to the location to carry out investigations and sterilize the area.
Until now, official government authorities have not released the exact number of fatalities.However, reports from the field provide an idea of the scale of the tragedy.
The mosque leader, Malam Abuna Yusuf, said at least eight people had died at the site, while local militia leader Babakura Kolo put the death toll at seven.
An eyewitness to the explosion, Musa Yusha’u, reported seeing many injured victims being transported in vehicles to receive emergency medical treatment.
Boko Haram Insurgency Center
Although the exact cause of the blast has not been confirmed, Maiduguri has for nearly two decades been a flashpoint for an armed insurgency waged by Boko Haram and its splinter, ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province).
Based on UN data, the prolonged conflict in this region has killed at least 40,000 people.Apart from that, the conflict has also caused around 2 million people to flee their homes since 2009.
This conflict also spread to neighboring countries such as Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
The city of Maiduguri has actually enjoyed a period of relative calm in recent years.The last major attack in the city was recorded in 2021. However, the latest explosion at the mosque sparked global fears of a return to violence in Nigeria’s northeastern region.
Armed groups in the region have proven to still have the ability to launch deadly attacks on civilian targets, despite years of large-scale military operations.
(wiw/wiw)
[Gambas:hitclubapk3 Video]
