Female suicide bombers gunned down in Nigeria

Civilian and military officials say civilian self-defense fighters killed three girl suicide bombers targeting a bustling market day in northeastern Nigeria. Officials blamed the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group.

Madagali council chairman Yusuf Muhammad Gulak says fighters challenged the girls who then ran toward the fighters. One girl was shot, activating her explosives and killing her and a companion. Gulak says a third bomber was gunned down as she tried to flee.

Last month, two women suicide bombers killed 57 people and wounded 177, including 120 children, at Madagali market, 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the scene of Wednesday's shootings.

Boko Haram has used scores of females in suicide bombings, prompting suspicions that some had been kidnapped.

Boko Haram's 7-year-old Islamic uprising has killed more than 20 000 people

AP