Explosion in Catholic church during Christmas Mass kills at least 25

Explosion in Catholic church during Christmas Mass kills at least 25

Associated Press

LAGOS, Nigeria

An explosion ripped through a Catholic church during Christmas Mass today near Nigeria’s capital, killing at least 25 people there, officials said.

A radical Muslim sect claimed the attack and another bombing near a church in the restive city of Jos, as explosions also struck the nation’s northeast.

The Christmas Day attacks show the growing national ambition of the sect known as Boko Haram, which is responsible for at least 495 killings this year alone, according to an Associated Press count. The assaults come a year after a series of Christmas Eve bombings in Jos claimed by the militants left at least 32 dead and 74 wounded.