Blasts injure three in Maiduguri: army

Nigeria — Three people, including a soldier, were injured Thursday in multiple blasts in three areas of Nigeria's restive city of Maiduguri, with one targeting a military patrol vehicle, the army said.

"There was an explosion targeting a military patrol vehicle today. One soldier and two civilians were injured in the attack which happened around Customs area of the city," Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesman Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said.

"Three other explosions were reported in the Gamboru and Bolori areas of the city but there were no casualties," he said without giving further details.

But a military source involved in operations in the city claimed three soldiers were killed while four others were injured in the attack at the Customs area.

"We lost three soldiers. Four other soldiers were injured and several civilians either died or were injured in the explosion," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to do so.

The attackers concealed a remote-controlled IED (improvised explosive device) inside a car which they pushed, pretending it had broken down, he said.

When they saw a military van coming, they abandoned the car by the roadside and from a distance, they detonated the explosive device as the van was passing by the abandoned car, he explained.

JTF said troops killed four suspected militants on Monday in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state and the main base of the Boko Harm Islamist sect whose insurgency is believed to have killed at least 3,000 people since 2009.

The Nigerian forces had been combing the city for Boko Haram fighters suspected of involvement in attacks that the army said killed three civilians and left six soldiers wounded last week.