Islamic cleric shot dead by gunmen in Nigeria's NE (AP)

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria ? A security official says two gunmen shot dead an Islamic cleric in Nigeria's restive northeast and that the attack resembles previous strikes by a radical Muslim sect.

Joint Security Task Force spokesman Lt. Col. Hassan Mohammed said Monday that the attack resembled other killings of religious leaders by the Boko Haram sect. He says police were alerted about the attack Sunday, but the suspects fled before security officials had arrived.

Isa Mohammed, a student of the slain cleric, said he was visiting Mallam Dala at his house Sunday when two men burst in and shot Dala.

Boko Haram is responsible for a rash of killings targeting security officers, local leaders and clerics. They claimed responsibility for a bomb that tore through the U.N.'s Abuja headquarters in August, killing 23 people and wounding 81.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110905/ap_on_re_af/af_nigeria_violence

bike earthquake in new york nigella lawson florence and the machine