Explosion kills 5 in NE Nigeria

Five people were killed early Sunday when an improvised explosive device went off near a military checkpoint in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, the Nigerian army said.

A soldier and four civilians were confirmed dead after a commercial tricycle operator unknowingly stepped on the explosive device suspected to have been planted by the side of Biu-Damboa road at the outskirts of Biu town, spokesman of the Nigerian army Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement reached to Xinhua.

The explosive instantly hit the five victims, the statement said, adding that three other persons were also injured.

The military said preliminary investigations had revealed that the explosive device, buried long time ago, was undetected. All the victims were immediately evacuated to a state-run hospital in the neighborhood.

Boko Haram is suspected to have planted the road-side mine.

The insurgent group has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly in northeastern Nigeria, since it launched its campaign of violence in 2009.

The Nigerian army has made progress in the fight against the terror group in the past year, retaking most of the areas previously under Boko Haram's control. Endit