23 July 2018•Update: 23 July 2018
By Olarewaju Kola and Rafiu Ajakaye
ANKARA / MAIDUGURI, Nigeria
At least seven worshipers were killed and eight others injured on Monday in a suspected suicide bombing at a mosque in northeastern Nigeria, officials and eyewitnesses said.
The attack took place in Konduga, a restive town near Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State and heartland of the Boko Haram insurgency.
"A male suicide bomber detonated IEDs in Konduga during early morning prayers in a mosque around the Ajari Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State,” Bashir Garga, regional coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), said in a statement.
Garga said the injured have been evacuated to Maiduguri for medical treatment as security officials restored normalcy to the area.
"The bomber entered the mosque at about 5 a.m. [0400GMT] and detonated the bomb tied to his body while worshipers were offering their prayers. I joined others to evacuate seven bodies from the mosque. Eight people were also injured," Sheriff Moh'd, a resident, told Anadolu Agency.
Eyewitness Abba Sunoma said after the blast, he saw seven mangled bodies of worshipers brought out of the mosque's rubble.
He said he was a few meters away from the mosque when the explosion occurred.
Turkey condemns attacks
Turkey denounced Monday's attack as well as one from Sunday.
"We condemn the terrorist attacks which were perpetrated yesterday in the Yobe province and today in the Borno province of Nigeria, causing the loss of lives and injury to many people," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"We wish Allah’s mercy upon those who lost their lives in these deeply sad and outrageous attacks, a speedy recovery to the wounded, and offer our condolences to the people and government of Nigeria," the statement added.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast but suspicion immediately fell on Boko Haram militants -- especially the Abubakar Shekau faction -- who have a history of attacking civilian populations.
The blast was the first in three months, after a suicide bombing killed five local security personnel guiding a camp for displaced victims of Boko Haram in the town.
