4 killed in suicide attacks in northern Nigeria

The Nigerian police on Wednesday confirmed that four were killed in suicide attacks attempted by suspected Boko Haram foot soldiers in the country's northeastern state of Borno.

The police in Borno State said three separate suicide attacks were foiled by security operatives in Maiduguri, the state capital between midnight Tuesday and early Wednesday.

All three suicide bombers were blown off by their own explosive devices, Borno State police chief, Damian Chukwu told Xinhua.

A passerby was killed and two persons were injured in one of the incidents, he added.

According to him, the first incident occurred midnight Tuesday, when a suicide bomber attempted to penetrate the city of Maiduguri through a village.

The suicide bomber was shot at a military checkpoint while trying to escape after he was sighted by the soldiers on guard. The shooting triggered the explosive wired round his body, killing only him, the senior police officer said.

The second suicide bomber died the same way while attempting to enter the Maiduguri metropolis through Kaleri village on Wednesday, Xinhua learned.

The third suicide bomber, a lady, detonated her explosive device while running from security operatives in the same area.

Chukwu said the injured have been taken to a government hospital for treatment.

Terror group Boko Haram is suspected of regrouping in Maiduguri after the military dislodged them from Sambisa Forest, their last enclave in the country, last month.

The Nigerian military is currently intensifying aerial and ground patrol in the country's northeast, extending its offensive mission around the Green Belt Region near Niger and Chad. Endit