Eid day blast rocks Damaturu in Nigeria, 5 killed

Two explosions struck an open air praying area in the northeastern Nigerian city of Damaturu, killing at least five people as Muslim worshippers gathered to mark Eid al-Fitr on Friday morning, witnesses said.

"I was sitting down when I heard two bomb blasts. I saw the bodies of five people and many were injured," said Muhammad Adamu, a businessman who was at the praying area, beside the main road leading to the centre of the predominantly Muslim city, when the blasts happened at around 8 a.m. (8.00 a.m BST).

Another witness, Muslim preacher Ustaz Abdullahi, also said he saw five people killed.

Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the blasts, but such incidents are usually blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram. On Thursday, some 50 people were killed in bomb attacks at a market in Gombe, around 200 km (120 miles) from Damaturu.