Lagos -
A string of explosions and gunfire has hit a busy area of the Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the country's emergency agency said on Tuesday.
"We cannot accurately assess the damage and casualties, as the soldiers have cordoned off the area of the explosions and shootings," said Mohammed Kanar.
The attacks in the city, 850 kilometres north-east of the capital Abuja, began late on Monday and had continued into Tuesday morning, he said.
Maiduguri has recently seen a wave of violence reportedly committed by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.
"The Red Cross and other similar agencies do not have access to the affected areas at the moment, so we have to restrict our movement within the area for the time being," Kanar said.
Several explosions have hit the city in the past week. On October 8 at least 30 civilians were reportedly shot dead in a military crackdown targeting Islamist insurgents hiding around Maiduguri.
Boko Haram extremists have been blamed for more than 1 400 deaths since 2010 as part of their insurgency in northern and central Nigeria. - Sapa-dpa
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