Six female suicide bombers carried out a coordinated attack on Damboa town. Two separate bomb blasts occurred in Shuwari and Abachari neighborhoods around 8:30 p.m. According to AFP sources, the attack targeted people returning from celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday (marking the end of Ramadan). After the initial suicide bombings, the perpetrators fired rocket-propelled grenades into the crowds that had gathered at the scene, driving the number of casualties higher.
16 Jun 2018 · Damboa, Damboa, Borno
Deaths
43
Injured
84
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
127
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
Borno State Police Commissioner Damian Chukwu confirmed the attack and stated that investigations were ongoing
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
To punish secular or state-sanctioned celebrations of Eid
Trajectory
This represented the hybrid siege phase. By mid-2018, the group integrated cold suicide bombings with hot military-grade hardware (RPGs), proving they could still project heavy firepower into liberated garrison towns like Damboa.
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier Boko Haram attacks including 18 June 2017 – coordinated suicide bombings targeting worshippers during Ramadan, 15 August 2017 – Mandarari multi-site suicide attacks on civilian gathering points, 02 December 2017 – Biu market double-blast with secondary targeting of responders, 01 May 2018 – Mubi twin suicide attacks on mosque and market crowds, and 11 July 2017 – follow-on attacks targeting gathered civilians after initial violence, collectively reflecting a recurring pattern in which Boko Haram conducts complex, multi-phase assaults that combine coordinated suicide bombings with follow-on heavy weapon fire (e.g., RPGs), deliberately targeting crowds that gather after initial blasts to maximize casualties and reinforce psychological shock during high-density periods such as religious celebrations.
Pattern
Female teenage suicide bomber deployment
Related — Bombing/IED
A suicide bomber detonated explosives outside the central mosque near the palace of the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Ibn Abubakar Umar Garbai El-Kanemi, in Maiduguri. The attack occurred just after Friday prayers attended by the Shehu and the Borno State Deputy Governor, Zanna Umar Mustapha. Both men escaped unharmed. The blast killed five people, including the bomber, and injured six others (two soldiers among them).
Two men in a sedan attempted to throw a bomb at soldiers stationed at a military post in the West‑End area of Maiduguri. The device detonated prematurely, killing the would‑be bomber. His accomplice fled, abandoning the car. Immediately after the blast, soldiers reportedly exchanged fire with unidentified gunmen and then stormed through the surrounding residential neighbourhood, allegedly shooting indiscriminately and setting homes on fire.
Two suicide bombers attacked the church in a coordinated manner. The first bomber drove a bus laden with explosives into the side of the church approximately five minutes after the Sunday service had begun (or ended, according to varying accounts) . This initial blast caused no casualties but drew worshippers, emergency workers, and soldiers to the scene . Approximately 10 minutes later, a second suicide bomber detonated an explosives-packed Toyota Camry parked nearby, causing the majority of deaths and injuries