18 Killed, 42 Wounded In Suicide Bomb Attacks By Women In Nigeria

New Delhi: At least 18 people were killed in suicide attacks by women who targeted a wedding, a hospital and a funeral in northeastern Nigeria, AFP reported.

In Gwoza town, a woman with a baby strapped to her back detonated explosives at a wedding ceremony on Saturday, according to a police spokesman.

“At about 1545 (1445 GMT), a woman carrying a baby on her back detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) she had on her at a crowded motor park,” Borno State police spokesman Nahum Kenneth Daso said.

Women suicide bombers also targeted a hospital in Gwoza, located across the border from Cameroon.

The third attack was carried out at the funeral for victims of the wedding blast, authorities said.

According to the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), at least 18 people were killed and 42 others injured in the series of deadly attacks.

“So far, 18 deaths comprising children, men, females and pregnant women have been reported,” Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) head Barkindo Saidu said.

Nineteen “seriously injured” people have been taken to the regional capital Maiduguri, while 23 others were awaiting evacuation.

The region has devastated by violence by jihadist group Boko Haram for over a decade. However, Boko Haram hasn’t claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Despite losing ground in recent years, Boko Haram jihadists have continued to attack rural communities in Nigeria. They have repeatedly deployed young women and girls to carry out suicide attacks.