Airstrikes in Nigeria against terrorists accidentally kill civilians | News of the African Union

The Nigerian Air Force has launched an investigation after reports that at least 15 people were killed in an airstrike in Zamfara State.

An airstrike targeting gangs in northwestern Nigeria accidentally killed civilians, according to officials and reports citing locals.

In a statement on Sunday, the spokesperson of the governor of Zamfara state said that the Nigerian army at the weekend targeted bandits who killed villagers and abducted many people in Maradun and Zurmi local government areas.

“Unfortunately, some members of the Cilian Joint Task Force and local security forces were affected during the operation in Tungar Kara,” said Sulaiman Bala Idris.

He added that members of local security forces were “mistakenly identified as fleeing bandits” in Zurmi area.

Officials have not released an exact death toll, but resident Salisu Maradun was quoted as saying by the Associated Press that they counted up to 20 bodies and 10 others were being treated for injuries. Residents also told Reuters that at least 15 civilians, including local guards, had been killed.

The Air Force said it had launched a “thorough investigation” into the incident and promised to work to “minimize and mitigate any damage to people and civilian infrastructure”.

It added that its operations had “successfully eliminated many bandits and led to the discovery of other kidnapping victims”.

In recent years, the air force has been increasingly using airstrikes in northwest and central Nigeria against armed groups and gangs.

However, airstrikes have accidentally killed civilians on several occasions, including in December 2023 when more than 80 civilians were killed during a religious meeting in northern Kaduna State.

According to Lagos-based research firm SBM Intelligence, military airstrikes have killed about 400 people since 2017.