Tuesday, 30 July 2013

'Ten killed' in blasts in Nigerian city of Kano


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At least 10 people have been killed in a series of explosions in Kano, the largest city in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria, officials say.

Witnesses said the blasts shook a Christian neighbourhood that has previously been attacked by militants from the Islamist group Boko Haram.

Police also say a number of people were injured in the blasts, which occurred late on Monday evening.

In March, explosions at a bus station in the city killed more than 20 people.

"We have had some explosions in Sabon Gari this evening," Kano state Police Commissioner Musa Daura said.

Eyewitnesses say multiple blasts struck the predominantly Christian district at around 21:30 local time (20:30 GMT), in an area where people had gathered to enjoy the area's nightlife.

One witness told the Associated Press news agency that one of the blasts appeared to come from a Mercedes-Benz parked next to a kiosk selling alcohol and soft drinks.

"After the first bomb, I threw myself into the canal (drain) to hide. There were at least three blasts,'' Kolade Ade said.

The same neighbourhood has been targeted in the past by the militant Islamist Boko Haram group, which is fighting to create an Islamic state in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.

The group, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", has increasingly targeted schools and civilians in its attacks.

Since the Islamic insurgency started in 2009, more than 2,000 people have died.

Though no group officially claimed responsibility for the bus station blasts in Kano earlier this year, Boko Haram was largely blamed for the attack.

Correspondents say the Muslim majority in the city are now anxious about possible reprisals, as people come out onto the streets after breaking their daytime fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.


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