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Friday, October 19, 2012

Nigerian Update; October 19

Like a geyser, the hate erupts and then soon settles down, only to erupt again.  Never-ending, always dangerous, sometimes fatal.  Jihad marches on in NIgeria.

From Modern Ghana October 19 by Aminu Abubakar

Attacks, clashes in north Nigeria leave several dead

KANO, Nigeria (AFP) - Explosions and gun battles between suspected Islamist extremists and security forces hit northeastern Nigeria, leaving several people dead and buildings destroyed in one city, officials and residents said Friday.

The clashes sparked panic and chaos in the city of Potiskum from late Thursday, with residents reporting a number of dead as well as schools and a government building set on fire.

In Maiduguri, the base of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, gunfire and several explosions could also be heard on Friday, but details were not immediately clear.

Police said they were seeking to restore calm in Potiskum and clear unexploded bombs, while some of the ordnance was still detonating.

"There are so many bombs here and there, and I can't give you the casualty figure now, because our men are still in the field to restore calm," said Patrick Egbuniwe, police commissioner for Yobe state, where Potiskum is located.

A military source said some houses had been destroyed with home-made bombs and a security checkpoint was attacked, but he also could not give a death toll yet. He said Boko Haram was suspected to be behind the violence.

"I cannot ascertain as of now how many people were killed, apart from the one (suspect) that I know who was shot at the checkpoint," the source told AFP.

Potiskum, which has been repeatedly hit by Boko Haram, was under military lockdown on Friday as security forces sought to track down the attackers, while residents described heavy explosions and gunfire, including home-made bombs being thrown at houses.

Two residents spoke of seeing a number of bodies, while one said several schools were burned, including an Islamic seminary.

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