Six people including five female suicide bombers aged between 9 and 13, lost their lives during an attack in Maiduguri, Borno state earlier today. According to reports, the five girls who had bombs strapped on them were travelling in a group when they approached civilian vigilantes helping the Nigerian military fight Boko Haram.

“Two of the girls detonated their explosives instantly and the rest fled the scene,” Muhammad Kanar from the Nigeria Emergency Management Agency told the BBC Hausa service. The other three blew themselves up as they were being chased by security forces. One other person was killed and four wounded in the incident.