Female suicide bomber detonates in Nigeria, killing seven

DAMATURU, Nigeria, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- A female suicide bomber detonated at a bus station in the city of Damaturu, Nigeria, killing at least seven people and injuring more than 30.

The female bomber is a suspected member of militant Islamist group Boko Haram. She reportedly appeared nervous as she walked out of a vehicle and into a crowd of people outside a grocery store at the end of the bus station.

Boko Haram has escalated its attacks ahead of the Nigerian elections, which were delayed from Feb. 14 to March 28. The group has conducted multiple attacks since the start of the year, including an attempted siege on the city of Maiduguri.

Boko Haram was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in 2013.

The militant Islamic group seeks to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria and has ruthlessly targeted civilians. A state of emergency has been declared since May 2013 in the northeastern areas of Nigeria where Boko Haram operates.

Boko Haram is accused of using female suicide bombers. Multiple bombings have been conducted by teenage girls in Nigeria.

Recently, Boko Haram militants attacked a village in Chad, killing at least five people in the group's first attack on Chadian soil.