Twin suicide bombings kill at least 5 in north Cameroon

YAOUNDE, Cameroon  — Two female suicide bombers detonated their explosives in a town in north Cameroon, killing at least five people and injuring 12 others, a military official said Saturday.

Col. Jacob Kodji, who leads Cameroon troops fighting against Nigeria's Boko Haram extremist group, said two teenagers targeted a family and local shop in the town of Dabanga near Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria. He said the suicide bombers were Nigerians who came to Cameroon as refugees. Cameroon has expelled thousands of refugees.

No group claimed responsibility for the attacks, though they are in line with others launched by Boko Haram which has expanded attacks into Cameroon, Chad and Niger — all countries contributing troops to a regional force intended to wipe out the extremists.

Boko Haram claimed responsibility Saturday for a suicide bombing on a procession of hundreds of Shiite Muslims a day earlier in Nigeria and threatened more attacks.

Shiite leaders said at least 22 people died, including 21 who died at the scene of Friday's attack near the northern city of Kano, on the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage. One of 30 wounded people died later, they said.

Boko Haram published a photograph identifying the bomber as Abu Suleiman al-Ansari, in a posting on social media Saturday as the West Africa Province of the Islamic State.

It did not refer to a second bomber, whom the Shiites said they captured before he could detonate his explosives. Muhammadu Turi, a member in the procession that continued Saturday, said the man was being interrogated and providing "vital information."

Kano state police commissioner Muhammadu Katsina said he had no information about a second bomber.

Boko Haram's 6-year uprising has killed some 20,000 people. It has been criticized by other extremist groups, including al-Qaida, for indiscriminately killing fellow Muslims. In March, Boko Haram joined the Islamic State group.