The Nigerian Air Force mistakenly bombed a refugee camp instead of positions of the Boko Haram terrorist group, killing at least 100 people.
The aftermath of Tuesday’s bombing at a Nigerian camp for displaced people (Photo: Doctors Without Borders)
On Tuesday, a fighter jet of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) mistakenly carried out an airstrike on a refugee camp on the territory of the country instead of positions of the Boko Haram terrorist group (Islamic State West Africa Province). As a result of the incident, at least 100 people, including both refugees, camp staff and medical workers, were killed, the Fox News TV-channel reported, citing the AP news agency.
As Commander of Nigerian troops in the region, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, told journalists, the mistaken airstrike was carried out during an operation against the Boko Haram extremist organization. According to him, the military had information that militants of the group were in the area, which was struck by the fighter jet.
“Somehow, some civilians were killed. We are yet to ascertain the number of persons killed in the air strike. Many civilians including personnel of International Committee of the Red Cross and Medicins Sans Frontieres were wounded,” Irabor said.
According to the Telegraph newspaper, the airstrike was carried out in Borno state, located near the border with Cameroon. The state’s authorities said that evacuation of wounded people from the camp is currently underway. Reportedly, there are employees of Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross among the victims.
In August of the last year, the Nigerian Air Force committed an air raid on positions of militants of the Boko Haram terrorist group in the north-east of the country, killing a number of high-ranking members of the organization and, presumedly, gravely wounding its leader Abubakar Shekau.
According to the Reuters news agency, government aircraft attacked positions of militants in the Sambisa Forest near Taye village in the north-western state of Borno. “Their leader, so called “Abubakar Shekau”, is believed to be fatally wounded on his shoulders,” spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said at that time.