Bombing at church in Bauchi, Nigeria kills at least 15
Attacks on churches are not uncommon in Nigeria. Above is the debris from a blast at the Holy Cross Church in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna in November 2002.
A suicide car bombing at a church in Bauchi, northern Nigeria, has killed at least 15 people, including the bomber, and wounded dozens more, according to various reports.
Six children were among the wounded.
CNN reported that the initial church attack was followed by another blast at a nearby church.
The number of victims from the second blast remains unclear.
The bombing took place at a Christian church on the outskirts of Bauchi as worshippers left an early morning Sunday service, the Associated Press reported.
Police told the BBC that a man drove a car full of explosives toward the church after forcing his way through a checkpoint.
Witnesses said the blast caught many people outside the church with no cover for protection from the explosion, according to the AP.
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While it was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, churches in central and northern Nigeria have been targeted lately by radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.
Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sin,” wants Shariah law more widely applied in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation and top oil producer.
The group has been blamed for killing more than 1,000 people since 2009.
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