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12-27-2011, 04:33 AM
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Christmas Bombings Kill 40 in Nigeria
All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth... A series of Christmas Day bomb attacks targeting churches and a suicide blast in Nigeria killed at least 40 people amid spiralling violence claimed by Islamists The government blamed Islamist group Boko Haram and a purported spokesman of the sect claimed responsibility for the bloodiest attack, against a church outside the capital Abuja, and for other deaths. The wave of killings stoked fear and anger in Africa's most populous nation and drew worldwide condemnation, with the White House decrying the "senseless violence" and the Vatican blaming "blind hatred". Some victims at the Catholic church outside the capital -- where 35 people were killed -- ran toward a priest with dying pleas to be blessed, including one man who was mortally wounded. President Goodluck Jonathan called the wave of attacks "an unwarranted affront on our collective safety and freedom" and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice. His national security adviser blamed Boko Haram for the attacks that saw worshippers killed as they were leaving church and burnt inside their cars. He said two people behind the bombing near Abuja were arrested. Nigerian authorities were unable to prevent the attacks despite military crackdowns and claims of arrests of Boko Haram members in the country, which is divided between a mainly Muslim north and mostly Christian south. One attack on Sunday saw a suicide bomber seek to ram a military convoy in front of a secret police building in the northeastern city of Damaturu, in an incident that killed the bomber and three security agents. |