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Blast Rocks Nigeria Market


An explosion has rocked the Monday Market area in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri. A reporter for VOA's Hausa Service who was near the scene says the blast, after 4 p.m. local time, caused several casualties and injuries but authorities have not yet released any figures.

Monday's blast comes three days after bomb blasts killed more than 50 people in the same area. More than 140 people were wounded in those attacks.

Boko Haram blamed

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombings, but suspicion fell on Boko Haram militants, who often target markets and other crowded public areas. The group tried to seize control of Maiduguri twice earlier this year but was driven back by soldiers and civilian vigilantes.

Meanwhile, witnesses say that Boko Haram fighters attacked the Borno state town of Ngamdu on Tuesday. Reuters news agency reports about a dozen people were killed.

A joint offensive by Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon has succeeded in retaking towns across northeastern Nigeria from Boko Haram over the past month. The Islamist extremist group is blamed for more than 10,000 deaths since 2009.

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