MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A Nigerian soldier died and two others were injured in a mid-day bomb explosion at the business area of the northeastern city of Maiduguri, the military said on Tuesday.
Spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, said in a statement that a remote control Improvised Explosive Device planted by terrorists exploded at First Bank/Mr Bigs Round About in the city of Maiduguri at about 00:15 p.m. local time.
The blast left one soldier dead and two others wounded, he said, adding that a Toyota Hilux vehicle and a Civil Honda Accord car were damaged. No civilian casualties were reported.
"The area was cordoned off and swept by the Bomb Disposal Arm of the JTF to avoid possible further explosion of undetonated bombs on poor innocent civilians," Musa said.
He also disclosed that 10 suspected terrorists were arrested in connection with the incident.
Some residents said six people including four soldiers and two civilians died in the explosion.
Meanwhile, hospital sources at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) confirmed to Xinhua that six corpses were brought in at about 1:00 p.m. local time.
Militants of the Boko Haram sect staged an uprising in Maiduguri in 2009, attacking state institutions including prisons, police stations and schools. Hundreds of people have been killed ever since, either in the attacks or clashes with local security forces.
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