2 killed in Nigeria bombing:

Two people, including a policeman, were killed on Wednesday in a suicide bombing in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the epicentre of Boko Haram’s insurgency, police and witnesses said.

Eleven others were injured in the attack at Muna Garage on the outskirts of the city, which has been repeatedly targeted by the Islamists, police said in a statement.

A male suicide bomber detonated explosives “strapped to his body” near a police armoured vehicle on patrol in the area at around 1:45 pm (1245 GMT), the police said.

A civilian was killed while seven others and four SARS (special anti-robbery squad) personnel were injured.

Witnesses and a rescue worker said a policeman was also killed in the blast that badly damaged the armoured vehicle.

“The driver of the police vehicle was killed along with a civilian,” said witness Idrissa Suleiman.

His account was supported by a rescue worker involved in the evacuation of the victims, who said the policeman’s body and that of the two bombers had been removed.

Suleiman said a suspect among the crowd that gathered at the scene then attempted to snatch a policeman’s weapon but was gunned down.

However police then “went wild” and fired into the air to scare away potential attackers, with stray bullets hitting three people, one of whom died from head injuries.

Boko Haram has recently stepped up suicide and gun attacks on “soft targets”, including schools, mosques, markets and motor parks in Maiduguri area. (AFP)