At least 10 people were killed and many injured when a Nigerian army fighter jet mistakenly bombed civilians while pursuing bandits in two villages in the northwestern state of Sokoto on Wednesday, state governor Ahmed Aliyu said. told
“Military jets were on their mission to eliminate criminal armed groups terrorizing the state and mistakenly bombed innocent people in this community,” Aliyu said in a statement.
My dear people of Sokoto State,
I am addressing this with a heavy heart following the tragic incident in Gidan Bisa and Runtuwa communities in Silame Local Government Area. This heartbreaking incident, caused by an accidental misfire by the Nigerian Army,… pic.twitter.com/NhYAXFjLmZ
— Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto (@Ahmedaliyuskt) December 25, 2024
Aliyu added that the state, together with other authorities, will investigate the military operation that killed people in Gidan Sama and Rintuwa villages in Surame Local Government Area.
The military said late on Wednesday that it had carried out attacks in areas around Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, which are linked to the Lakurawa group, but did not provide any details on the civilians affected.
Last month, the military warned of a new rebel group, the Lakurawas, infiltrating the country’s northwest region from neighboring Niger and Mali. Wednesday’s deadly airstrike occurred at around 0500 GMT after two military jets dropped bombs on the villages, the local government chairman said.
Insecurity is widespread in northwestern Nigeria, while a 15-year Islamist insurgency has plagued the northeast and gang and separatist violence has affected the southeast.
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