Explosion rocks church in Nigerian capital

ABUJA?? A bomb exploded in a Catholic church on the outskirts of the Nigerian capital Abuja during Christmas prayers on Sunday and emergency services said they did not have enough ambulances available to evacuate all the dead and the wounded.

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It was not immediately known what had caused the explosion or how many people were wounded or killed, though authorities acknowledged they had begun collecting corpses at the scene.

"Yes, I can confirm to you that there has been a bomb blast in a church in Madala," National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesman Yushau Shuaibu told Reuters by telephone.

"We are presently there, evacuating the dead and the injured, but unfortunately we don't have enough ambulances. Most of our ambulances have gone to operate on the major highways of the country," he added.

Last year, a series of Christmas Eve bombings in the Nigerian city of Jos claimed by radical Muslim sect Boko Haram ? which in the Hausa language spoken in northern Nigeria means "Western education is sinful" ? killed at least 32 people and wounded at least 74 others.

With those attacks in mind, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria's capital of Abuja had issued a warning Friday to citizens to be "particularly vigilant" around churches, large crowds and areas where foreigners congregate.

Windows blown out
The blast in St Theresa's Church in Madala, an Abuja suburb blew out windows of at least one house nearby, a witness said.

Rose Adoga, who lives nearby told Reuters by telephone there was a huge explosion from the direction of the church. She added that "the blast destroyed the windows of my home."

A witness on a local radio station calling himself Paul said he was inside St Theresa's Church in the Madala district when a bomb went off in the middle of the church, according to Reuters.

Story: Clashes between sect, police kill 61 in Nigeria

The explosion comes amid a wave of attacks in Nigeria by Boko Haram. In the last year, the sect has carried out increasingly bloody attacks in its campaign to implement strict Shariah law across Nigeria, a nation of more than 160 million people with a largely Christian south and a Muslim north.

Boko Haram is loosely modelled on the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.

Previously, Boko Haram has been blamed for other bombings in Niger state, including attacks on an election office, a political rally and a church.

The sect is responsible for at least 465 killings this year alone, according to an Associated Press count.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for details.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45786378/ns/world_news-africa/

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