Attacks in Nigeria Kill at Least 143

At Wall Street Journal:

An Islamic militant group in Nigeria staged devastating bomb and gun assaults on government targets in the northern city of Kano, the latest in a series of attacks that appeared aimed at splitting Muslim and Christian communities in Africa's most populous country.

The attacks, which took place late Friday and Saturday, paired bomb blasts with shootings. An Associated Press count, based on hospital records, said that at least 143 people had died. A high-ranking Nigerian security official, who asked not to be identified, said the final toll may be higher than 200.

The Islamic militia Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack. A Boko Haram spokesman, with a nom de guerre of Abul Qaqa, said that, during the chaos, Boko Haram had freed several of its members who had been in police custody without a trial.

The group, whose name means "Western Education is Sacrilege," has long targeted government workers and buildings in Africa's most populous nation. But since last month, the group has also stepped up attacks on Christians living in the country's overwhelmingly Muslim north, in an apparent effort to sow divisions between the two groups.

Plus, at London's Daily Mail, "At least 143 dead after multiple bombs rock Nigerian city in attacks aimed at government targets."