MAIDUGURI (Nigeria), Oct 30: A bomb blast rocked the troubled northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri on Sunday in an attack on a military patrol vehicle, the army and residents said.

Although residents reported seeing an ambulance speeding away from the area, the army said there had been no casualties.

The city has previously been targeted by scores of bombings blamed on an Islamist sect known as Boko Haram.

“There was a bomb attack targeting a military patrol vehicle, but there were no casualties,” said Colonel Victor Ebhaleme, commander of operations for a task force assigned to the city.

Residents described a large explosion, and one said he saw an ambulance driving at speed away from the area.

“There was a loud explosion,” said resident Hammadi Yakubu. “The explosion was the loudest I've heard so far in the city.”

He said “nobody knows the extent of the damage because the area has been cordoned off by soldiers”.

Another resident gave a similar account, speaking of a heavy explosion and smoke billowing.

“The sound was really terrifying,” said Ahmad Gana.

Another resident, Bunu Zarabe, said he saw a siren-blaring ambulance speeding out of the area with a military van behind it.

Residents in the neighbourhood known as Bulabulin Ngarnam were later said to be fleeing out of fears of a military raid in response to the blasts.—AFP