Bombings at three churches leave dozens dead

Three suicide bomb attacks on churches rocked a northern Nigerian state yesterday, killing at least 21 people and wounding about 100.

The first two blasts occurred within minutes of each other and targeted two churches in the city of Zaria, said Kaduna State police chief Mohammed Abubakar Jinjiri. A third blast hit a church in the city of Kaduna about half an hour later, Jinjiri said.

Nigerian Red Cross official Andronicus Adeyemo said the Zaria attacks killed the bomber and at least one other person and injured 51. The Kaduna attack claimed 10 more lives, he said, and wounded 29 people.