MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist
insurgents pounded the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri
with rocket-propelled grenades late on Tuesday, killing at least
10 people and injuring dozens, officials, security forces and
residents said.
It was the worst attack for a year on Maiduguri, the
government's stronghold in the northeast and the heart of its
conflict with Boko Haram jihadists in a shattering, decade-long
war.
It came less than a month after President Muhammadu Buhari
replaced his long-standing military chiefs amid worsening
militant violence, with the armed forces fighting to reclaim
other northeastern towns overrun by insurgents. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the
latest attack. Nigeria's northeast is the hotbed of two Islamist
insurgencies: Boko Haram and Islamic State's West African
branch, which split from the former group in 2016.
"It is a very sad moment for the people and government of
Borno state. About 60 persons were affected, among them, 10 have
died," said Babagana Zulum, the governor of Borno, of which
Maiduguri is the capital.
All of those killed were civilians, according to hospital
and security officials.
Airborne explosives began to rain down near the University
of Maiduguri in the city's east around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, said a
Reuters witness, a resident and security officials. Blasts soon
rocked other parts of eastern and northeastern Maiduguri.
Insurgents were launching rocket-propelled grenades into
Maiduguri from a distance, said Borno's governor and security
officials. One of the projectiles hit a children's playground,
Zulum said, without saying whether anyone was injured.
"An explosion killed four people near my house," said one
resident, Ali Ciroma. A policeman and two security officials
confirmed the deaths.
Security forces were soon rushing corpses and the wounded
into a nearby hospital's emergency unit, according to a Reuters
witness who counted 22 injured at that ward.
Three security officials said the death toll could be higher
than 10, with one saying as many as 17 people were killed.
Sounds of gunfire and explosions died down around 7.30 p.m.
as the military fought off the attackers.