Suicide Bombers Strike Nigeria, Killing at Least 36 People

Multiple suicide attacks have struck Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, killing at least 36 people on Thursday and Friday, according to officials.

All the incidents occurred in the city of Maiduguri, and today's attacks were reportedly carried out by three females aged between 11 and 15.

Borno state is the birthplace of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram. The region has been the focus of attacks by suspected members of the organization that have killed around 1,000 people since President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May, although responsibility has yet to be claimed for Friday's attacks.

On Thursday night, a double suicide bombing struck at a mosque on the outskirts of Maiduguri, killing around 29 people.

Launching its operations in 2009, Boko Haram has driven thousands of people to flee from their homes. In the past few months, Boko Haram violence have displaced 1.4 million children in Nigeria and its neighboring countries.

Related: Niger Declares State of Emergency in Region Under Attack by Boko Haram

Cameroon, Chad, and Niger have also been targeted by militants. On Thursday, Niger imposed a state of emergency in the southeastern region of Diffa, where at least 40 people have been killed in recent weeks in attacks linked to Boko Haram.

With approval from the African Union, Nigeria's neighboring countries established a Multi-National Joint Task Force to fight Boko Haram, contributing troops to the mission.

Earlier this week, US President Barack Obama announced that armed forces have been sent to Cameroon to help the fight against the militant group. American will now deploy 300 troops along with surveillance drones, which will "conduct airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in the region," said Obama.

"These forces are equipped with weapons for the purpose of providing their own force protection and security, and they will remain in Cameroon until their support is no longer needed," he continued.

Related: Boko Haram Video Claims to Show Nigerian Soldier Beheaded as Blasts Hit near Lake Chad

Reuters contributed to this report