Eleven people were killed on Wednesday in northern Cameroon when two girls blew themselves up in twin attacks in a region repeatedly targeted by Nigeria-based Boko Haram jihadists, officials said. The girls, who were "under 15", attacked the central market of the regional capital Maroua as well as the adjoining Hausa neighbourhood, regional governor Midjiyawa Bakari said.
In a statement, the presidency said that 11 people had died and 32 were wounded in what it called "cowardly and despicable" acts. A source close to local authorities earlier confirmed the attack, saying "two girls who were begging blew themselves up" at around 3:00 pm (1400 GMT). A Cameroonian journalist, who was in the town at the time, described "total panic" in the town after the bombings. The attack is the second of its kind in Cameroon in the past 10 days.