Bomb kills 20 in northern Nigeria: military source

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KANO: A bomb blast at a police beer garden killed at least 20 people Sunday in the troubled northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, a military source and a witness said.

"The bomb was planted at the middle of the 'mammy market' and at least 20 people have been killed and several others seriously injured from the explosion," said an army officer who prefered not to be named.

The so-called mammy market beer gardens are open air pubs and eateries found around police or military barracks and are open to both security personnel and civilians.

Commander of a special military crack unit deployed a week ago to curb the unrest in the area, Brigadier-General Jack Okechukwu Nwaogbo confirmed the attack, but was unable to immediately give details of casualties.

"There has been a bomb explosion at a market belonging to the police in Wulari area of the city. I'm right now at the scene," Nwaogbo told AFP on the phone from Maiduguri.

It was just the latest in a series of attacks in the troubled region.

An attack on a civilian beer garden in the same city last Sunday, left at least 25 dead.