At Least Six Killed As Blasts, Gunfire Rock Kano

At least 10 people have been killed in a series of explosions which occurred at Igbo Road/Enugu Road and on New Road, opposite Ado Bayero Square in Kano, officials say. Witnesses said the blasts shook a Christian neighbourhood that has previously been attacked by militants from the Islamist group Boko Haram. Police also say a number of people were injured in the blasts, which occurred late on Monday evening. “We have had some explosions in Sabon Gari this evening,” Kano state Police Commissioner Musa Daura said. He also claimed that only six persons were killed during the blasts, while six others were injured. The blasts came less than 24 hours after the State Security Service (DSS) raised security threat levels in the country, especially the seat of power in Abuja following credible intelligence reports of plans to carry out bombings as the Ramadan fasting period nears its end. According to eyewitnesses, multiple blasts struck the predominantly Christian district at around 9: 30 pm, in an area where people had gathered to enjoy the city’s nightlife; a feature that was fast disappearing before calm was restored back to Kano. One witness told the Associated Press news agency that one of the blasts appeared to come from a Mercedes-Benz parked next to a kiosk selling alcohol and soft drinks. Though no group has officially claimed responsibility for this latest attack, it is generally believed to have been carried out by Boko Haram, whose last major attack in the city was in March when a suicide bomber attacked a popular bus station in the same Sabon Gari area.