Two explosions ripped through a crowded bus station in Nigeria Monday, killing scores of people.
The blasts went off during rush hour as several hundred commuters were boarding buses on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital, Abuja. Witnesses described seeing police drag body parts from the scene. (Via Al Jazeera)
"You can also see the bombed-out remains of the buses. Eyewitnesses at the scene say they saw many bodies scattered across that area." (Via BBC)
Early estimates put the number dead at 71 and more than 120 injured. (Via Jewish News One)
No one has claimed responsibility yet for the attack, but the Nigerian government is currently pointing to Boko Haram.
That's the same al-Qaeda-linked militant group responsible for killing thousands of Nigerian civilians since its uprising in 2009. (Via Sahara TV)
The terrorist group has been extremely active in recent weeks with attacks on schools and universities throughout Nigeria. This weekend alone the insurgents reportedly killed more than 60 people. (Via All Africa, BBC, Al Jazeera)
The group gained notoriety when it struck the United Nations building in Abuja in 2011. (Via The New York Times)
Ever since, Boko Haram has been terrorizing Nigeria in its quest for an Islamic state. J. Peter Pham of the Atlantic Council calls the group's mission a fantasy. (Via TVC News)
"They want to overturn the Nigerian state and replace it with a fantasy Islamic caliphate of some sort that goes beyond even the imposition of Sharia law." (Via PBS)
Even though Nigerian security forces have killed hundreds of Boko Haram members, the group has remained active. (Via Euronews)
In February, the governor of Borno — the state hit hardest by the insurgency — told reporters that's because the Nigerian army is no match for the the better-armed terrorist group.
KASHIM SHETTIMA: "Honestly, the Boko Haram are better armed and better motivated than our own troops. ... Given the present state of affairs, it is absolutely impossible for us to defeat the Boko Haram." (Via Channels Television)
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Boko Haram is responsible for nearly 3,800 deaths since May 2011.
