Bomb attacks kill dozens in Nigeria
July 17, 2015
At least 30 people were believed to have been killed in two bomb strikes in Gombe in northeast Nigeria, on Thursday. The first explosion took place at a footwear shop in a market, followed by a second explosion, news agency AFP reported.
"I have 30 bodies in bags and I am sure there are more out there," a Red Cross official told Reuters press service. Eye witnesses said the area was packed with shoppers on the eve of the festival to mark the end of Ramadan.
No group took responsibility for the attacks, but it is presumed to be the work of Boko Haram militants, who have been active in Nigeria's northeast. The militants have targeted a market, a bus station and stadium in Gombe in the past months.
Buhari vows to quash militants
The jihadists have killed more than 15,000 people since 2009. They believe in a strict interpretation of the Sharia law and consider the Western way of life sinful.
There has been a spike in attacks ever since Nigeria joined hands with its neighbors, Chad, Cameroon and Niger, to push them out from territories they have seized control of.
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to quash the militants and said his government was working "with utmost dedication to meticulously plan and tackle" national challenges.
In an effort to increase the efficiency of his military, Buhari fired all top defense officials earlier this week and claimed he appointed their successors solely on the basis of merit.
mg/gsw (AFP, Reuters)