A female suicide bomber killed at least 12 people and injured several others at a busy fish market in Borno State on Friday night, police said Saturday, marking the latest attack in a region that has endured 16 years of Islamist insurgency. The explosion occurred around 10:00 p.m. when the bomber, who had strapped an improvised explosive device to her body, infiltrated crowds at the fish market in Konduga Local Government Area before detonating the explosives.

Borno State police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso confirmed the incident in a statement. “A woman with an improvised explosive device strapped to her body infiltrated a crowd at the fish market before detonating it among civilians,” Daso said.

The attacker died in the blast along with at least 12 civilians. Those injured were immediately evacuated to nearby hospitals by Nigerian Army troops and emergency response teams who were deployed to the scene.

Local residents reported that at least 30 people sustained injuries of varying degrees. Some witnesses said the death toll could be higher as the market was particularly crowded at the time of the attack.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama, who first reported the incident on social media platform X, said security personnel have cordoned off the area to prevent further attacks. “The area has been secured to avoid infiltration by other suspected bombers,” Makama wrote.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Borno State has been the epicenter of an insurgency primarily driven by Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Vice President Kashim Shettima, himself a former governor of Borno State, condemned the attack as a “senseless act of violence” in a statement released Saturday. Shettima vowed that terrorists would not be allowed to threaten peace and security in the country.

“Our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones in this senseless act of violence,” the Vice President said. “The government stands with them in this difficult time and will provide all necessary support.”

Shettima urged relevant government agencies to ensure victims and families of the deceased receive urgent assistance. He assured that the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to restoring lasting peace and security to the Northeast.

The attack represents a concerning escalation in violence in the region. Konduga, located about 36 kilometers from the state capital Maiduguri, has been repeatedly targeted by insurgents due to its strategic location.

Boko Haram has a documented history of using women and girls as suicide bombers, a tactic that has become increasingly common since 2014. The group seized large swaths of territory in northern Borno that year before being pushed back by Nigerian forces with support from regional allies.

The insurgency, which began in 2009, has killed thousands of people and displaced at least 2 million across the Lake Chad basin region, according to United Nations agencies. Despite military operations that have degraded the capabilities of the armed groups, they continue to carry out deadly attacks against both civilian and military targets.

Friday’s attack comes amid a broader pattern of violence in Nigeria. Earlier this month, at least 150 people were reportedly killed in an overnight assault on Yelwata village in neighboring Benue State. The persistent security challenges have stretched Nigerian armed forces, which are now deployed in two-thirds of the country’s states.

The use of improvised explosive devices has become a hallmark of the insurgency. According to Action on Armed Violence, IEDs have inflicted more civilian harm than any other type of explosive ordnance in Nigeria over the past decade, accounting for 87% of all recorded civilian casualties from explosives.

Security has been heightened across Konduga and surrounding areas following the attack. Military sources indicate that operations are ongoing to track down any accomplices and prevent further incidents.

The international community has repeatedly expressed concern about the humanitarian crisis in northeast Nigeria. More than 8.3 million people require urgent assistance, with 80% being women and children, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

As families mourn their loved ones and the injured receive treatment, the attack serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing security challenges facing Africa’s most populous nation. The persistence of such attacks, despite years of military operations, underscores the complex nature of an insurgency that shows no signs of ending soon.