More Than A Dozen People Killed In Bombing At Shiite Procession In Nigeria

Islamic Movement in Nigeria / Via islamicmovement.org

At least 15 people were killed Friday in Nigeria after a suicide bombing in the midst of a holiday procession.

Hundreds of moderate Shiite Muslims were celebrating when the explosion took place, the Associated Press reported. A second suspected suicide bomber was detained earlier in the day before he could detonate his explosives.

Reuters reported the death toll as high as 21, with dozens injured. The bombing took place in a rural area along a highway as the procession made its way from Kano to Zaria.

The annual local celebration of Arbaeen lasts seven days and marks the death of an early Shiite leader. According to the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, thousands take part each year.

Leaders of the group said the blast took place around 2 p.m. local time. The victims included men, women, and children.

Extremely graphic images on the group's website purported to show the devastation left by the bombing.

Security officers stand guard at the scene of an explosion at a mobile phone market in Kano, Nigeria on Nov. 18.

Muhammed Giginyu / AP

The attack is suspected to be the work of Boko Haram, the radical Salafist Muslim group that has killed thousands of people in the region in recent years, the AP reported.

Earlier this month, a bombing at a mobile phone market in Kano left 15 people dead, and another attack in Yola killed at least 31 people.

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SOURCE: BuzzFeed