Insurgents strike Nigerian city with grenades, killing 10

SUSPECTED Islamist insurgents pounded the north-eastern 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 north-east 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 north-eastern towns overrun by insurgents.

It was not clear who was responsible for the latest attack. Nigeria’s north-east 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.

Airborne explosives began to rain down near the University of Maiduguri in the city’s east around 6pm on Tuesday, said a witness, a resident and security officials.

Blasts soon rocked other parts of eastern and north-eastern Maiduguri.

Insurgents were launching rocket-propelled grenades into Maiduguri from a distance, said Zulum and security officals.

One of the projectiles hit a children’s playground.