Credited from: DAWN
A series of coordinated explosions by suspected suicide bombers struck the Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Monday evening, resulting in the deaths of at least 23 individuals and injuries to over 100 others, as reported by local police. The blasts tore through crowded areas, including a major market and the entrance of the largest teaching hospital in Borno state, shortly after many citizens broke their Ramadan fasts, according to SCMP, Dawn, and Los Angeles Times.
The three explosions occurred in quick succession, initiated by individuals targeting heavily populated areas. Victims included market-goers and those visiting the hospital, illustrating the attacks' indiscriminate nature. Witnesses recounted scenes of chaos and panic as people attempted to flee, with one survivor describing how, "Unfortunately, as they were running towards the post office, the person who had the explosive device ran into the crowd while people were still trying to escape," as highlighted in reports by Africa News and Dawn.
The apparent increase in violence comes amid ongoing security operations in the region, where groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have increasingly targeted civilians. The military has attributed the latest attacks to Boko Haram militants, emphasizing the group's sustained capacity to orchestrate deadly assaults, which have led to over 40,000 deaths and displaced approximately two million since the insurgency began, according to Africa News and Dawn.
Following the attacks, Borno state Governor Babagana Zulum condemned the bombings as "barbaric" and linked the recent surge in violence to intensive military operations against jihadists in the Sambisa forest area. Investigations are ongoing to ascertain the full scale of the assaults and to bring those responsible to justice, as police reported that "normalcy has been fully restored in the affected areas," according to SCMP and Los Angeles Times.