Residents stated dozens had been killed and wounded in military air strike. (Representational)
Kano, Nigeria:
A military drone strike by accident hit a village in northwestern Nigeria killing dozens of civilians celebrating a Muslim pageant, native authorities, the army and residents stated on Monday.
Nigeria’s armed forces typically depend on air strikes of their battle in opposition to so-called bandit militias within the northwest and northeast of the nation the place jihadists have been waging a 14-year battle.
The military didn’t present particulars or a demise toll for the strike late Sunday in Tudun Biri village, Kaduna State, however residents stated dozens had been killed and wounded.
Native officers additionally reported fatalities.
“Muslim trustworthy observing Maulud had been mistakenly killed and lots of others injured following a army drone assault focusing on terrorists and bandits,” Kaduna State governor Uba Sani stated, ordering an investigation.
“We buried 85 people who had been killed within the bomb assault,” stated resident Idris Dahiru, whose family members had been among the many useless.
He stated greater than 60 injured folks had been being handled in hospital.
“I used to be inside the home when the primary bomb was dropped… We rushed to the scene to assist these affected after which a second bomb was dropped,” he added.
“My aunt, my brother’s spouse and her six youngsters, wives of my 4 brothers had been among the many useless. My elder brother’s household are all useless, besides his toddler little one who survived.”
– Dozens of wounded –
Dozens of wounded had been taken to a instructing hospital within the state capital Kaduna, native state safety commissioner Samuel Aruwan stated following a gathering with military officers and group leaders.
He stated the assault left “a number of residents useless and others injured” however didn’t present a toll.
In response to the military, it was a routine mission in opposition to militants that “inadvertently affected members of the group,” he stated.
Resident Husseini Ibrahim instructed AFP late on Monday: “I misplaced 13 members of my fast household among the many 85 that had been killed.
“They included my youngsters and people of my brothers, seven boys and 6 women. We buried the victims at this time.”
Most of the victims had been girls and youngsters, resident Hassan Ma’aruf instructed AFP by phone, sharing photographs he stated confirmed the our bodies.
AFP couldn’t instantly verify the authenticity of the pictures.
“We now have up to now recognized 30 useless victims,” he stated, talking earlier on Monday.
Militia gangs, recognized regionally as bandits, have lengthy terrorised elements of northwest Nigeria, working from bases deep in forests and raiding villages to loot and kidnap residents for ransom.
Within the northeast, jihadists have been pushed again from the territory they held on the peak of the battle, although they proceed to combat on.
Greater than 40,000 folks have been killed and two million displaced since 2009.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made tackling insecurity a precedence since coming to workplace in Could, as he seeks to encourage overseas funding in Africa’s most populous nation.
Nigerian army bombing raids have prompted civilian casualties prior to now.
A minimum of 20 fishermen had been killed and a number of other injured in a September 2021 assault in Kwatar Daban Masara on Lake Chad within the northeast, when the army mistook them for militants.
In January 2017, at the least 112 folks had been killed when a fighter jet struck a camp housing 40,000 folks displaced by jihadist violence within the city of Rann close to the border with Cameroon.
The Nigerian army blamed “lack of acceptable marking of the world” in a report issued six months later.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
