Explosion Hits Nigerian Mosque During Prayers, At Least 7 Feared Dead

Prayers turned to chaos in Nigeria after an explosion ripped through a packed mosque during evening prayers, with numerous casualties feared. The attack occurred in Borno state, a region long plagued by militant violence.

Blast in a Crowded Market

According to the BBC, eyewitnesses said the blast happened in a mosque within the Gamboru market of Maiduguri, the state capital. While there has been no official confirmation of casualties, one report suggests seven people were killed. Unverified footage circulating on social media appears to show the immediate aftermath, with dust filling the air in a chaotic market area.

Hallmarks of a Familiar Foe

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the method—targeting a crowded public space with a suspected suicide or improvised explosive device (IED) attack—is a known tactic of militants in the region. Maiduguri has been the epicenter of an insurgency by the militant Islamist group Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Boko Haram's military operations to establish an Islamic caliphate in Borno state began in 2009. Despite years of security operations, the Nigerian government has struggled to prevent sporadic attacks against civilians in the country's northeast.