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It was the third misfire by the military in a little over a year
during aerial bombardments of extremists and rebel groups.
Nigeria's air force was targeting rebels in the hard-hit Zurmi
and Maradun areas of Zamfara state, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the
state governor’s spokesman, said on Sunday.
“Regrettably, some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and
local vigilantes were also affected during the operation in
Tungar Kara, resulting in the loss of lives,” Idris said in a
statement, saying they were “mistakenly identified as bandits
fleeing” from the area.
Officials did not say how many civilians were killed. However,
Salisu Maradun, a local resident, said they counted up to 20
bodies while 10 others were being treated for injuries.
The air force said it was investigating the incident and
promised to work to minimise and mitigate any harm to civilians
and civilian infrastructure. “The safety and well-being of all
Nigerians are of utmost importance” in its mission, it said.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara government called the weekend airstrike
“successful” as it “decisively targeted bandits.”
“We will continue to offer support to enhance intelligence
sharing, provide logistics, and strengthen community
engagement,” the statement said.
Nigeria’s military often conducts air raids to battle extremists
who have destabilized the country’s north. The air raids have
ended up killing some 400 civilians since 2017, according to the
Lagos-based SBM Intelligence research firm.
In December 2023, more than 80 civilians were mistakenly killed
during a religious gathering in the northern Kaduna state. In
May 2024, the Nigerian military said two of its personnel would
face a court martial over the misfire. However, it never
released the investigation's findings, continuing a trend that
rights groups have criticized as a lack of transparency.
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