In a tragic incident, a Nigerian airstrike targeting armed groups in the conflict-hit northwest killed a number of civilians working in community security outfits by ‘mistake’.
This is the third such incident that has been reported in over a year during aerial bombardments of extremists and rebel groups.
According to the state governor's spokesman, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the strike was targeting rebels in the Zurmi and Maradun areas of Zamfara state.
Some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and local vigilantes were also affected during the operation in Tungar Kara, said Idris.
Though the officials have not yet released the number of civilians who died in the airstrike, residents say that there were around 20 bodies. Several people got injured in the airstrike as well.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara government in a statement called the weekend airstrike successful as it decisively targeted bandits in a renewed onslaught by the military.
According to SBM Intelligence research firm, Nigeria's military air raids have killed around 400 civilians since 2017.
In December last year, over 80 civilians were mistakenly killed during a religious gathering in the northern Kaduna state.
Residents told local media that members of local vigilante groups and civilians were defending themselves from armed gangs notorious for kidnapping people for ransom.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force said it was investigating the incident.
"While the operation successfully eliminated several bandits and led to the recovery of some kidnap victims, the NAF views with grave concern reports of the loss of civilian lives in the course of the operation," the NAF said in a statement.
"Launching air raids is not a legitimate law enforcement method by anyone's standard. Such reckless use of deadly force is unlawful, outrageous and lays bare the Nigerian military's shocking disregard for the lives of those it supposedly exists to protect," it added.
