18 killed in suicide bombing of UN compound in Nigeria - Los Angeles Times

At least 18 people died when a suicide bomber rammed his car through the two front gates of the U.N. headquarters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Friday, raising fears that a terrorist group in the country is widening its attacks.

An Islamist extremist group, Boko Haram, which has carried out many bombings in the past, told the BBC in a phone call that it had carried out the attack.

The blast at about 11 a.m. left a gaping hole in the compound, which houses about 400 people working for 26 U.N. humanitarian and development agencies. It's not clear how many were present, but dozens were injured.

This marks the first attack on the U.N. by militants in Nigeria.

Past attacks by Boko Haram, a group that models itself on the Afghan Taliban, have been launched on national government targets, mainly in the north. The largest previous bombing, of the police headquarters in Abuja in June, killed six.

Security analysts fear the group may be getting external support – and may have developed links with Al Qaeda.

"This was an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others," said U.N. secretary general Ban Ki-moon." We condemn this terrible act utterly."

robyn.dixon@latimes.com