Almost four dozen people were killed in attacks on multiple churches in Kano, Nigeria earlier this week in a wave of bombings the military blamed on Islamic terrorists.
The explosions Monday left 45 dead according to a report from African news service BosNewsLifehttp://global.fncstatic.com/static/v/all/img/external-link.png and seemed to indicate a spreading Islamic insurgency in the country.
Thirsty-nine bodies were recovered from the wreckage of the Christ Salvation Pentecostal Church after the attack, which occurred in the middle of a Monday night worship service. Another six bodies were found in two other area churches .
Witnesses claimed in local reports that there were another four explosions in the same Sabin Gari area, causing widespread general panic as dust and smoke hovered in the air.
The local military said the attack came from suspected members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which translates into “western education is a sin.” The group has been waging a war in the region for the past four years, saying it wants an Islamic state.
Boko Haram has said in the past it wants Christians to leave the predominantly Muslim area of northern Nigeria, where Kano lies.
In May, Nigeria launched a major offensive against Boko Haram but it failed to end the terrorist attacks.
In recent weeks, at least three schools in the region were attacked by the militant group and just this past weekend, at least 20 people were left dead during a clash in the village of Dawashe.