Boko Haram ends Ramadan with more killings

As Ramadan, the Muslim season of fasting, ends today with the Friday Eid-al-Fitr celebration, two northeastern Nigerian towns mourn the death of at least 62 people killed in the last 48 hours.

Police say two suicide bombers, an elderly woman and a 10-year-old girl, killed 12 people on Friday morning as many gathered to celebrate the end of Ramadan at two open-air prayer grounds in the town of Damaturu.

On Thursday evening, two bombs killed 50 people shopping at a market in the city of Gombe. The attacks put celebrations on hold, with many people fearful of more violence and unwilling to go through the numerous military checkpoints set up across the country.

Though Boko Haram has not claimed responsibility for the attack, its violence in northeastern Nigeria spiked during the last month. Since the beginning of Ramadan on June 18, Boko Haram attacks have killed about 400 people. The killing spree began after the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS) called for more attacks during the Islamic holy month.

Last month, after ISIS accepted Boko Haram as a regional affiliate, the Nigerian extremist group renamed itself Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP). The group, which began its insurgency in 2009, is responsible for the death of more than 13,000 people across Africa.

During his inauguration on May 29, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to put an end to Boko Haram.

The new president’s latest effort to combat the homegrown extremist group involved firing the country’s military chiefs and appointing new ones. Shortly after taking office, Buhari ordered the relocation of the military forces’ headquarters to Maiduguri—one of the cities badly affected by Boko Haram attacks. Buhari is now working on a joint task force with neighboring countries also affected by the group.

But Boko Haram has not slowed its attacks. Since the beginning of Buhari’s administration, more than 600 Nigerians have died as a result of the extremist group’s violence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.