At least 40 people were killed in an attack on a crowded market in Nigeria, an official told NBC News. State Sen. Ahmed Zanna said the attack took place in Nigeria's city of Maiduguru — which previously has been targeted for attack by Boko Haram militants.
Eyewitnesses told Reuters that a woman had entered the roadside trading area behind the city's main market before blowing herself up and that a second blast soon followed. "While the people were trying to help the injured the second bomb blasted," Sani Adamu told the news agency. "I saw lots of bodies."
Maiduguri, a city of some 600,000, is the capital of Borno state — a region which has experienced countless killings and kidnappings at the hands of Boko Haram. The group gained worldwide infamy in April when it kidnapped 276 schoolgirls, sparking the Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.
IN-DEPTH
Boko Haram Said to Kill 45 in Nigerian Village
- Nigeria Says It Has Recaptured Chibook, Home of #BringBackOurGirls
- They're Back: Boko Haram Militants Overrun #BringBackOurGirls Town
- Alexander Smith
Reuters contributed to this report.