Tragic Coordinated Attacks in Northern Nigeria: Female Suicide Bombers Strike

Female suicide bombers conducted coordinated attacks targeting a wedding, funeral, and hospital in northern Nigeria’s Borno state, killing at least 18 people. The suspect behind these attacks is the extremist group Boko Haram, known for using women and girls in suicide bombings. The resurgence of such attacks raises significant security concerns.

In a series of tragic events, female suicide bombers executed coordinated attacks on a wedding, a funeral, and a hospital in northern Nigeria's Borno state, resulting in at least 18 fatalities, local authorities reported Sunday.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility, but the extremist faction Boko Haram is suspected due to its history of utilizing women and girls in suicide bombings. Speculation arises that some attackers could be among the thousands kidnapped by Boko Haram over the years, including schoolchildren.

The first explosion occurred during a marriage celebration in Gwoza, followed by another near a General Hospital, and a third at a funeral service where the bomber posed as a mourner, according to Barkindo Saidu, the director-general of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency. Children and pregnant women were among the casualties, with at least 30 others injured, suffering from severe injuries like abdominal ruptures and skull fractures.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu condemned the attacks as "desperate acts of terror" and labeled them an "isolated episode." This insurgency, initiated by Boko Haram in 2009, has claimed over 35,000 lives, displaced 2.6 million people, and created a dire humanitarian situation. The group seeks to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, a nation of 170 million people divided between a Christian south and Muslim north.

The recent wave of suicide bombings in Borno has intensified concerns about the region's security. Authorities have since imposed a curfew in the city. Gwoza is located near Chibok, the site of the 2014 abduction of 276 schoolgirls, almost 100 of whom remain unfree. Additionally, at least 1,500 students have been kidnapped across Nigeria in recent years as armed groups continue to exploit kidnapping for funding and control over villages.

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