Heroic Dog Saves Wedding By Tackling Female Suicide Bomber

by Guest Post

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By Russ Read

A dog died after tackling a female suicide bomber in Nigeria, preventing the would-be attacker from detonating herself in a wedding party.

The dog’s brave actions prevented the suicide bomber from causing any other casualties to the party. The failed attack occurred in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria’s Borno state, where the ISIS-affiliated Boko Haram terrorist group is known to engage in suicide attacks.

“A female suicide bomber with [an improvised explosive device] strapped to her body attempted to infiltrate a wedding ceremony gathering in Belbelo community of Jere,” said a spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force in Borno State, as quoted by Nigeria’s Premium Times. “She was however prevented by a watch dog, so she had to detonate the IED to kill herself and the dog. The dog was owned by a resident in the locality.”

Boko Haram is well-known for its use of female suicide bombers. Three suicide bombers blew themselves up Sunday while trying to enter Maiduguri. It is unclear if the dog was a trained to detect bombs, but its efforts were effective, nonetheless.

Boko Haram became infamous for taking over vast swaths of Nigerian territory during its peak in 2014. It was considered more deadly than the Islamic State in November 2015. The group has engaged in mass murder, suicide attacks and subjugation of its victims since 2009. The Nigerian government, in conjunction with neighboring countries Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Benin, have beaten back the group, but Boko Haram continues to pose a threat.