Twin Car Bombs Kill 118 in Nigeria

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2014-05-21

Nigerian officials say the bodies of 118 people have been recovered from the scene of a twin bombing in the crowded business section of the central city of Jos.

The blasts, which occurred Tuesday at a busy marketplace, flattened several buildings and caused fires that were still burning hours later. Officials expect to find more bodies.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called the bombings "cruel and evil," and said he is fully committed to winning the war on terrorism.

No one has claimed responsibility, but suspicion immediately fell on Boko Haram -- the Islamist extremist group blamed for thousands of deaths as it tries to set up a conservative Muslim state in the north.

The group also is behind last month's kidnappings of nearly 300 schoolgirls from a remote village in Borno state.

Nigerian lawmakers voted Tuesday to extend a state of emergency for six months in the northeast, where Boko Haram is most active.

Source: Voice of America

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