On Tuesday, July 11th 2017, four suicide bombers attacked areas in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno, Nigeria. The attacks killed 19 people and injured a further 23.
Of those killed 12 are said to be members of the civilian self-defence forces, the target of the attacks.
Since the Boko Haram insurgency, Borno has been the worst impacted area from such attacks.
Up to three female suicide bombers were involved in the attacks. Increasingly females are being used to carry out such bombings.
Whilst the amount of IED attacks perpetrated in Nigeria significantly reduced over last year, alongside national efforts to destroy Boko Haram, the group still maintains a presence and the ability to carry out such attacks.
Last year, Nigeria saw 461 civilian deaths and injuries from IED attacks; an 82% decrease from the previous year. In the first half on 2017, Nigeria saw 77 civilian casualties from IEDs.
AOAV calls on all states to urgently address the threat of IED attacks. There is an urgent need for preventative measures to be implemented by States and the international community.
For more on counter-IED initiatives, please see here.
To read AOAV’s latest report, Understanding the regional and transnational networks that facilitate IED use, please read here.
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