DHAKA: At least 81 people were killed and 150 others injured as two bombs exploded outside the central mosque of north Nigeria's biggest city, Kano, just as residents were packing into the area for Friday prayers.

The blasts occurred outside the Emir's Palace Mosque.

Witnesses said they heard gunshots but did not know who was firing, reports Aljazeera.

"Two bombs exploded, one after the other, in the premises of the Grand Mosque seconds after the prayer had started," resident Aminu Abdullahi said, adding that a third went off nearby.

The AFP news agency put the death toll at 120.

Aljazeera report also said, "It was a very brazen attack in the centre of the city. The crowd at the mosque is usually the largest in the city during Friday prayers.”

The Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was said to be inside the mosque at the time, with the explosions happening in an outdoor courtyard.

There was also no immediate claim of responsibility.

Last week, Sanusi, a respected Muslim figure, called on the people of Nigeria to defend themselves against Boko Haram.

BDST: 0832 HRS, NOV 29, 2014