UPDATE2 -- More than 100 die in mosque attack in northern Nigeria

USPA News - At least 105 people were killed Friday and dozens more were wounded in a bomb and gun attack on one of Nigeria`s biggest mosques in the northern city of Kano, local authorities and witnesses said. It is believed the Islamist group Boko Haram is responsible.

The attack happened at around 2:30 p.m. local time when two explosions occurred just outside Kano Central Mosque in Nigeria`s second-largest city, sending thick plumes of smoke rising from the scene. Witnesses said gunfire was heard after the attack, causing worshippers to flee in panic. Medical officials in Kano said at least 105 people had been killed in the attack while around 100 more were injured, some of them critically. Nigeria`s Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) confirmed many people were killed but provided no casualty figures. "Rescue operations are ongoing by NEMA and other Emergency Stake holders while corpses and other injured individuals were rescued to various hospitals for medical attention," a spokesperson said. The deadly attack happened as hundreds of worshippers had gathered at the mosque to attend Friday prayers. Mohammed Sanusi II, the Emir of Kano and one of the country`s most important religious leaders, usually leads Friday prayers at the mosque, but he is currently out of the country. There were conflicting reports on whether the explosions were caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or by suicide bombers. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is believed to have been carried out by the Boko Haram, which is seeking the imposition of an extremist stance of Shariah law in Nigeria.