Gunmen haul explosives at police post, killing many in Gombe

KANO  (AFP) – Gunmen suspected to be members of Islamist Boko Haram sect late Wednesday launched simultaneous attacks on two police posts in the northern city of Gombe killing a number of people, residents said.

The attackers, who came around 8.30 pm (1930 GMT), threw explosives at a police post in central Gombe and opened fire on the policemen, a resident said.

An unspecified number of people were killed in the attack, Ibrahim Aliyu told AFP.

“They threw explosives and opened fire on the police post in central Gombe. Some of the policemn were inside while others were outside. The explosions were followed by gunfire. There was a shootout between the gunmen and policemen which lasted till 10 pm (2100 GMT),” Aliyu said.

“From a distance, I could see lifeless bodies being loaded into police ambulances,” he said, without being able to give a precise death toll because it was dark.

In the second attack, a resident in Bagadaza district on the outskirts of Gombe, Auwal Nasiru, said from his house he heard a loud explosion coming from a nearby police post.

“There were a lot of gunshots lasting for more than an hour. I cannot say if anybody was hurt or killed in the attack,” he said.

There is no official confirmation of the attacks.

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen had in late February launched coordinated gun attacks on Gombe prison and a nearby police station during which 14 people, including policemen, were killed.

The police station was burnt down in the attack.