A car laden with explosives detonated outside of a Catholic church on Sunday in a restive city in central Nigeria, killing at least three people and injuring others, a rescue official said.
The blast happened on Sunday morning outside of St. Sinba’s Catholic Church in the city of Jos.
The bomber was apparently stopped before his car entered the church’s compound, a rescue official said. It was unclear whether the church service was going on at the time of the attack. The rescue official spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to release casualty figures to journalists.
ADVERTISEMENT
Plateau State spokesman Pam Ayuba said authorities were aware the blast happened and were trying to secure the area and investigate the apparent attack.
No group immediately claimed responsibility though the city has been targeted in the past by a radical Islamist sect known as Boko Haram.
A failed raid on Thursday by British and Nigerian commandos that left a Briton and an Italian hostage dead in Nigeria’s far northwest opened a new front on Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with terrorism, showing any region across its north can be attacked and anyone, including foreigners, could be targeted.
ADVERTISEMENT