Nigerian local authorities said on Sunday (June 30) that multiple female suicide bombers in the northern part of the country targeted a wedding, a funeral, and a hospital in a coordinated attack, resulting in at least 18 people dead.
According to the Associated Press, Barkindo Saidu, the director of the emergency management agency in Borno State, told reporters that the first bomb exploded at a wedding in the town of Gwoza in northeastern Nigeria.
Saidu said, “Minutes later, another explosion occurred near the general hospital.” The third bomber at the funeral disguised herself as a mourner. Among the casualties were children and pregnant women. Saidu stated that at least 30 people were injured, with injuries including abdominal ruptures and skull fractures.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the three attacks. Borno State has been severely affected by the insurgency launched by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram since 2009, leaving scars of devastation.
Boko Haram has previously used women and girls to carry out suicide bombings, raising suspicions that some attackers may have been among the thousands abducted over the years, including schoolchildren.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu described the attacks as “despicable acts of terror” and “isolated incidents” in a statement.
The insurgency of Boko Haram has spread to the surrounding areas of Lake Chad, resulting in over 35,000 deaths, more than 2.6 million displaced persons, and a massive humanitarian crisis.
A faction of Boko Haram aligned with the Islamic State organization, aiming to establish an Islamic State in Nigeria. Nigeria, a petroleum giant in West Africa, has a population of 170 million, almost evenly divided between the predominantly Christian south and predominantly Muslim north.
The resurgence of suicide bombings in Borno has sparked serious concerns about the security situation in the region.
A curfew has been imposed in the city. Gwoza is located just a few kilometers from Chibok, where in 2014, 276 female students were kidnapped.
Since then, at least 1,500 students have been kidnapped across Nigeria, as the armed group Boko Haram found this practice profitable for funding its criminal activities and controlling villages.