Twin blasts rocked a market Thursday in the northeast Nigerian town of Gombe, leaving nearly 50 people dead.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which targeted a market crowded with customers doing some last-minute shopping on the eve of the Eid festival marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

The blasts resembled attacks carried out by Boko Haram Islamic militants, who have killed thousands in a six-year insurgency in the country’s northeast.

There has been a spike in attacks by Boko Haram since coalition forces from Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon pushed the militants out of captured territory earlier this year.

The violence has further intensified since Nigeria’s new president, Muhammadu Buhari, took power a month and a half ago and vowed to crush the group — something his predecessor also had made a priority but failed to do.

Earlier this week, Buhari replaced all of Nigeria’s military chiefs, another step aimed at halting the Boko Haram insurgency.

The new army chief and national security adviser come from Borno, a step welcomed by the state governor, Kashim Shettima. He said the new generals understand the terrain and can easily connect with communities to get local support.

“Nigeria now has the best of chances to overcome the challenges of insurgency facing it since 2009,” the governor said.
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