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Blast hits Nigeria church

June 3, 2012

A suicide bomber has targeted a church in northeastern Nigeria, killing numerous people and wounding many more. The assailant apparently drove a car full of explosives into the house of worship.

https://p.dw.com/p/157Cu
People stand in front of a damaged church building following a suicide bombed attack
Image: dapd

Police said at least 12 people were killed and around 30 others wounded in the attack, which took place Sunday morning on the outskirts of the city of Bauchi around 400 kilometers (250 miles) northeast of the capital, Abuja.

"I was just in the area when I heard a huge blast. The sound was so loud, my ears are still ringing," said Samuel Etudu, who was outside the church when it exploded, told the Reuters news agency.

It was not clear who was responsible for the attack.

A militant Islamist group, called Boko Haram, has been blamed for hundreds of bomb attacks on churches in Nigeria over the past two years. The group wants to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, whose population of 160 million is evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, most of whom live in the north.

ncy/pfd (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)