Suicide bombing in Nigeria blamed on Boko Haram extremists

Updated at 7 p.m. EST — Later Wednesday, two more suicide bombs left at least 15 people dead in the northern city of Kano. The 2015 Global Terrorism Index (PDF) ranked Boko Haram the most deadly terrorist organization for killing 6,644 people in 2014, compared to 6,073 by the Islamic State group.

Original story:

Overnight, a suicide bombing in the northeastern Nigerian city of Yola killed 32 people and wounded at least 80 others.

The blast at a produce market beside a main road was the first since a series of suicide attacks in two northeastern cities that killed 42 people and injured more than 100 on Oct. 23. Most of Tuesday’s victims were vendors or passers-by.

No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the blast resembled past attacks by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which is seeking to create a state of strict Sharia law in the northeast.

An estimated 20,000 people have been killed in the six-year uprising, according to the Associated Press.

Nigeria’s military reportedly has foiled several recent suicide attacks and destroyed militant camps in airstrikes and ground attacks.

“The enemies of humanity will never win. Hand in hand, we will rid our land of terrorism,” tweeted Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari ordered the arrest of the former president’s security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, for allegedly siphoning off $2 billion in funds meant to go toward the fight against Boko Haram. He was already under house arrest for allegedly having illegal firearms.

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