Witnesses: Bomb blasts kill 8 in northeastern Nigerian city

People clear debris after an explosion in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Twin explosions from female suicide bombers suspected to be with Boko Haram killed nine people and injured more than 20 in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturday morning, officials and witnesses said (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) (The Associated Press)

People clear the scene after an explosion in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Twin explosions from female suicide bombers suspected to be with Boko Haram killed nine people and injured more than 20 in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturday morning, officials and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) (The Associated Press)

People clear the scene after an explosion in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. Twin explosions from female suicide bombers suspected to be with Boko Haram killed nine people and injured more than 20 in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri on Saturday morning, officials and witnesses said (AP Photo/Jossy Ola) (The Associated Press)

Witnesses say twin explosions from suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers have killed at least eight people in Nigeria's northeastern city of Maiduguri.

The first blast outside a refugee camp came around 7 a.m. (0600 GMT).

Witness Inuwe Sula says he saw six bodies evacuated near Bakassi refugee camp and several wounded survivors "drenched with blood."

Civilian self-defense fighter Dan Batta says two suicide bombers tried to enter the camp that holds more than 16,000 refugees from Boko Haram's seven-year Islamic uprising.

He says the second blast came a half-hour later and about a kilometer away when a tricycle taxi carrying at least two people exploded.

Boko Haram has stepped up attacks after a months-long lull caused by a leadership struggle in the organization affiliated with the Islamic State group.