Explosions rock Nigerian city for second day

Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - For the second day running Sunday, Nigeria's northern city of Zaria has been rocked with explosions, as security operatives raided suspected hideouts of Islamic insurgents, the police said.

The Commissioner of Police for Kaduna state, Mr. Olufemi Adenaike, said operatives were searching the suspected hideouts of the insurgent, believed to be members of the Islamic sect Boko Haram.

“Security have been dispatched to conduct search in the area (Gaskiya layout in the Tukur area of the city), and the operation is going on,'' said Mr. Adenaike, who promised to give full details of the operations later.

Casualty details are not yet known.

The raid of the hideouts was said to have commended on Saturday evening, following intelligence reports that the insurgents were planning to carry out attacks on the city Sunday. The raid was said to have resulted in exchange of gun fire between the operatives and the insurgents overnight.

The explosions being heard in the city were believed to have resulted from the detonation of bombs being carried out by the security operatives

The military Joint Task Force battling insurgents in the predominantly-Muslim northern Nigeria has recently launched a series of surprise attacks on Boko Haram, killing many of its top commanders and arresting many members.

Boko Haram, which means 'Western education is sacrilege', has killed over 1,400 people in gun and bomb attacks since launching its violent campaign in 2009, following the killing of its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, by the police.

The sect has expressed its commitment to establishing an Islamic state in the northern part of Africa's most populous nation.
-0- PANA SEG 30Sept2012