LAGOS,  (AA): At least 17 people were killed in twin suicide attacks Monday at a motor park in Nigeria’s northeastern town of Madagali, according to the Adamawa state emergency management agency,  which added that 41 others were injured and taken to hospital.

“At the moment, we have 17 people dead with 41 others injured. Some were treated and discharged while those with serious injuries are on admission across various hospitals,” Haruna Furo, spokesman for the state relief agency, told Anadolu Agency by phone on Monday night.

Furo said the attacks were carried out by “two female suicide bombers”, who detonated explosives at the bus station.

“Many of the victims were returning to Yola to resume work after the Maulid and Christmas holiday,” he added.

Abdullahi Saba, a resident of Madagali working near the bus station, had earlier told Anadolu Agency that up to 18 persons had died in the incident including the bombers.

“Our counting indicated that 18 people died along with the bombers. I cannot say the number of those injured because we got there a few minutes after the blast,” he added.

The incident occurred in the morning barely four hours after dozens were killed in early morning suicide blasts in the city of Maiduguri in the neighboring Borno state – which, during the night, had been fending off an attempt by Boko Haram militants to enter the city. The army said at least 14 suicide bombers had been intercepted as they sought to infiltrate the city.

The latest violence surge comes days after Nigeria declared a “technical victory” over the Boko Haram ahead of the Dec. 31 deadline President Muhammadu Buhari had given the army to crush the insurgency.