<p>Boko Haram jihadists attacked Nigeria's city of Maiduguri in the volatile northeast killing 16 people, including nine children who were playing football in a field, local militia told AFP Wednesday.</p>.<p>Officials said previously 10 people were killed and 47 were injured in Tuesday's attack when jihadists fired rocket-propelled grenades on the densely-populated city.</p>.<p>Boko Haram has previously made incursions into Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, using heavy guns and suicide bombers.</p>.<p>"The death toll has risen to 16," Babakura Kolo, the leader of a self-defence militia, told AFP.</p>.<p>In one of the neighbourhoods affected, Gwange, nine boys were killed when one of the explosives landed in a field where they were playing football, Kolo said.</p>.<p>"Initially four died but five more died from the serious injuries they sustained from the explosion."</p>.<p>Another militiaman, Umar Ari, gave the same death toll and said it could still rise as many were injured.</p>.<p>Eyewitness Sama'ila Ibrahim said the jihadists crossed the ditch fortification around Maiduguri, sending residents scrambling for safety with sporadic shooting.</p>.<p>Ibrahim said the militants came through Boboshe village, a known Boko Haram enclave.</p>.<p>Attacks by the group aimed at overrunning the regional capital are usually foiled in fierce gun battles with Nigerian troops.</p>.<p>In February last year, Boko Haram fired volleys of explosives into the city, injuring several people.</p>.<p>Since the insurgency began in 2009, the jihadist conflict has killed 36,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in the region.</p>.<p>The violence has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the insurgents.</p>
<p>Boko Haram jihadists attacked Nigeria's city of Maiduguri in the volatile northeast killing 16 people, including nine children who were playing football in a field, local militia told AFP Wednesday.</p>.<p>Officials said previously 10 people were killed and 47 were injured in Tuesday's attack when jihadists fired rocket-propelled grenades on the densely-populated city.</p>.<p>Boko Haram has previously made incursions into Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, using heavy guns and suicide bombers.</p>.<p>"The death toll has risen to 16," Babakura Kolo, the leader of a self-defence militia, told AFP.</p>.<p>In one of the neighbourhoods affected, Gwange, nine boys were killed when one of the explosives landed in a field where they were playing football, Kolo said.</p>.<p>"Initially four died but five more died from the serious injuries they sustained from the explosion."</p>.<p>Another militiaman, Umar Ari, gave the same death toll and said it could still rise as many were injured.</p>.<p>Eyewitness Sama'ila Ibrahim said the jihadists crossed the ditch fortification around Maiduguri, sending residents scrambling for safety with sporadic shooting.</p>.<p>Ibrahim said the militants came through Boboshe village, a known Boko Haram enclave.</p>.<p>Attacks by the group aimed at overrunning the regional capital are usually foiled in fierce gun battles with Nigerian troops.</p>.<p>In February last year, Boko Haram fired volleys of explosives into the city, injuring several people.</p>.<p>Since the insurgency began in 2009, the jihadist conflict has killed 36,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in the region.</p>.<p>The violence has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the insurgents.</p>