Shootings, Bombings Kill 10 in Northern Nigeria

Posted July 3rd, 2011 at 6:00 pm (UTC-5)
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At least 10 people have been killed in a series of bombings and gun attacks in Nigeria's troubled northeast.

A local police official says an explosion Sunday evening killed at least five people and wounded 10 others at a bar near a police barracks in the city of Maiduguri.

In a separate attack, gunmen shot and killed a local politician in another part of the city.

Police also say gunmen shot and killed four people late Saturday in Maiduguri.

The attacks are thought to be the work of Boko Haram, an Islamic fundamentalist group whose name means “Western education is sinful.” However, no one has yet claimed responsibility.

The group did claim responsibility for a separate bombing at Nigeria's police headquarters earlier this month, and has been blamed for numerous attacks on police, government officials and religious leaders.

Nigerian officials have offered to negotiate with the shadowy group, but its spokesmen have rejected the offer so far.