Niceria A bomb-laden car crashed headlong into the U.N. headquarters in the capital, Abuja, killing at least 23 people in one of the deadliest attacks on the organization in years. It was also the first high-profile hit on a foreign target in Nigeria. A radical group called Boko Haram (which loosely translates to "Western education is sin") claimed responsibility. Over the past year, the organization, also known as Nigerian Jihad, has waged an increasingly violent campaign for the widespread implementation of Shari'a (Islamic law). Until the brazen daylight attack in Abuja, its targets were predominantly symbols of national authority, like police stations. The U.N. bombing adds a new and troubling dimension to the country's fight against terrorism, raising fear of a full-fledged, al-Qaeda-inspired Islamic insurgency in Africa's most populous nation.
展开▼
