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A homemade bomb was thrown at an Arabic school in southern Nigeria two days after a series of bombings that targeted churches on Christmas Day. No deaths were reported in Tuesday's assault, but among the wounded were six children under the age of nine.

In a separate incident, a Christian family was murdered by gunmen in what police reportedly claim was a "religious attack."

The recent increase in violence is raising concerns that a full-scale religious war could break out in a nation that is divided roughly in half between Muslim and Christian populations. Boko Haram, an Islamic militant group that opposes the Nigerian government, claimed responsibility for the Christmas attack (pictured above) that killed 32 people observing the holiday mass. It was the second year in a row that Christians had been targeted during the holiday. Those attacks came amid ongoing clashes between Boko Haram and government forces in the northern city of Damatruru that have forced around 90,000 people to flee their homes. Many of those who left have refused to move into government sponsored camps for fear that would make them an easier target.

Religious leaders on both sides have condemned the attacks, but are finding it difficult to control individuals seeking revenge or who believe they're acting in self defense; particularly when one side, Boko Haram, is accused of trying to "disintegrate" the country,

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.