ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 18 people were killed Friday when a suicide bomber smashed a car through the gates of the U.N. headquarters in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, raising fears that a homegrown Islamic militant group inspired by the Taliban is widening its attacks to include Western targets.
A spokesman for Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attack, the most serious by the group. Based in Nigeria’s Muslim-majority north, the group is suspected of forging links to al-Qaeda.
“More attacks are on the way, and by the will of Allah we will have unfettered access to wherever we want to attack,” the spokesman, Abu Darda, said by phone. “We have more than 100 men who are willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Allah.”
The blast just before 11 a.m. left a gaping hole in the four-story building, which houses about 400 people working for 26 U.N. humanitarian and development agencies. It is not clear how many people were present, but dozens were injured. There were fears the number of dead could rise sharply.
Witnesses said the driver rammed the lower floor of the building. They reported seeing a huge explosion and bodies scattered on the ground in front of the building.
“This was an assault on those who devote their lives to helping others,” said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. “We condemn this terrible act utterly.”
It was Boko Haram’s first attack on an international target. The group has targeted government buildings such as police stations, mainly in the north, including a June attack on the police headquarters in Abuja that left six dead.
“Boko Haram” means “Western education is a sin.” The group opposes the Nigerian government and Western culture and wants to impose a strict Islamic state across Nigeria.
Security analysts fear the group might be getting external support — and might have developed links with al-Qaeda.
The U.S. military commander in Africa, Gen. Carter Ham, told The Associated Press recently that Boko Haram might be seeking to mount joint attacks in Nigeria with other African militants.
He said multiple intelligence sources indicated that Boko Haram had made contact with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which operates in North Africa, and with al-Shabab in Somalia.
In an interview with a Los Angeles Times reporter in northern Nigeria last year, one of the group’s leaders said the group wanted to shift its focus from domestic targets.
“The U.S. is the major target because it’s the major aggressor against Muslims throughout the world,” said the militant, who gave his name only as Musa.
“America is the main aggressor, and I believe all these attacks against America are divine worship.”
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called the attack “barbaric, senseless and cowardly” and boosted security in the capital.
