At least 18 people have been killed and 30 injured in a series of deadly explosions in Nigeria believed to have been carried out by female suicide bombers.
One of the bombings is believed to have killed six people and wounded others at a wedding on Saturday in the northeastern state of Borno.
The state emergency management agency said the coordinated attacks targeted a wedding, the victims’ subsequent funeral and a hospital in the town of Gwoza.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the Nigeria-based Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has previously claimed responsibility for deadly bombings in Borno.
In the past four months, attackers have twice targeted civilians with suicide and homemade explosive devices in Borno state.
Borno state is the center of a 15-year insurgency by Islamist militants Boko Haram, which has displaced more than 2 million people and killed more than 40,000.
Boko Haram became internationally infamous in 2014 when It has kidnapped more than 270 schoolgirls. from the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.
Authorities said there were 18 confirmed deaths on Saturday, including children, adults and pregnant women.
Some local media reported the death toll was much higher – Nigerian newspapers Vanguard and This Day said at least 30 people were killed in the blasts.
The army has imposed a curfew.
Gwoza was captured by Boko Haram in 2014 and recaptured by Nigerian forces in 2015 – but the group continues to carry out attacks and kidnappings near the town.
Last November, 20 people were killed by Boko Haram rebels while returning from a funeral in neighboring Yobe state.
The attack came a day after rebels killed 17 people in a raid on the village of Gurokayeya, after villagers refused to pay a so-called harvest tax, police said.
