At least 16 civilians in Zamfara state in north-western Nigeria have been killed in an airstrike, which was allegedly carried out by gangs.
Residents told local media that the victims were members of a vigilante group and civilians defending themselves from armed groups known for kidnapping people for ransom.
These strikes were against gangs in Zurmi and Maradun areas and the governor of the state, Dauda Lawal, expressed his condolences to the community.
The army admitted it had carried out airstrikes, which it said had “contributed significantly to the crimes terrorizing towns in the region”.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it was investigating “reports of missing security personnel”.
“Although the operation has successfully eliminated several criminals and led to the discovery of hostages, the NAF is aware of disturbing reports of loss of lives during the operation,” he said in a statement.
It said the ongoing “thorough investigation” will identify the truth of the matter, which will be discussed “to inform and reassure the public”.
AFP news agency quoted a local as saying that residents were returning to their villages after fleeing the bandits when they were shelled.
People in this area “found 16 dead bodies during the attack and took some seriously injured people to hospital,” Sa’idu Ibrahim was quoted as saying.
Amnesty International in Nigeria put the death toll at 20 and said dozens of others were injured in the attack on the Tunga Kara village, and called on the authorities to “immediately and impartially” investigate the incident.
“Launching airstrikes is not a legitimate method of law by anyone’s standards. The reckless use of lethal force is illegal, offensive and exposes the Nigerian military’s appalling disregard for the lives of those they are supposed to protect,” the statement said. .
In recent years, Nigeria’s security forces have been battling powerful gangs, known as gangs, that have been terrorizing the north-west and central states. These criminals raid cities, burn homes, kill and kidnap citizens for ransom.
A number of airstrikes have occurred in recent months, including a Christmas Day attack that killed at least 10 civilians in neighboring Sokoto state.
In 2023, at least 85 civilians, mostly women and children, who were attending an Islamic religious meeting in Kaduna town, were killed after they were mistakenly identified as bandits.
In January 2017, at least 112 people were killed when a plane crashed into a camp housing 40,000 people displaced by jihadist violence in a town near the Cameroon border.
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