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Suicide bombers kill 12 in Nigeria's Borno state - police

by Reuters
Monday, 19 June 2017 10:08 GMT

Men push a cart loaded with goods past soldiers at the boarder in Gamboru Ngala, Borno, Nigeria April 27, 2017. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

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Borno has been the state worst hit by the insurgency that has killed more than 20,000 people and forced some 2.7 mln people to flee their homes since 2009

By Lanre Ola and Ahmed Kingimi

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, June 19 (Reuters) - Five female suicide bombers killed 12 people and wounded 11 in northeast Nigeria's Borno state, birthplace of the Islamist militant Boko Haram insurgency, police said on Monday.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks. But the use of female suicide bombers in public places is a tactic used by Boko Haram, which has focused on Borno during its eight-year-old insurgency aimed at creating an Islamic caliphate.

Borno state police spokesman Victor Isuku said the attacks occurred on Sunday at around 08:30 p.m. (1930 GMT) in the village of Kofa, 8 km (5 miles) from the state capital Maiduguri.

"The first suicide bomber detonated near a mosque, killing seven persons. The second detonated in a house killing five persons," he said, adding that 11 people hurt in the attacks. Isuku said the other three bombers also died.

Borno has been the state worst hit by the insurgency that has killed more than 20,000 people and forced some 2.7 million people to flee their homes since 2009.

Boko Haram killed 14 people in bombings and shootings in Maiduguri on June 7.

(Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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