A drone strike by the Nigerian army accidentally killed dozens of civilians. Muslim believers were “accidentally killed and many injured” in a “military drone attack on terrorists and bandits.”
The Nigerian military is said to have accidentally killed numerous civilians during an operation against rebels. A gathering of Muslims in a village in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State was attacked with a drone on Sunday evening, Governor Uba Sani said.
The drone was actually aimed at “terrorists and bandits,” but accidentally killed civilians and injured many more.
Amnesty International speaks of 120 deaths
The office of the human rights organization Amnesty International in Nigeria said 120 people had died, citing reports from workers and volunteers in the region. Many of the victims were children, Amnesty International’s local director Isa Sanusi told the AP news agency. More bodies would be recovered on site.
The army did not provide any information on the number of deaths in the incident in Tudun Biri village. Residents spoke of 85 dead and 60 injured.
A local resident told the AFP news agency that 30 fatalities had been identified so far. Dozens of injured people were taken to a hospital in the capital, Kaduna, said local security officer Samuel Aruwan. Governor Sani ordered an investigation.
Repeated attacks
The General of the military unit in charge of operations in Kaduna, Valentine Okoro, was quoted by the state government as saying that the army was on a routine mission against terrorists. Inadvertently, actions by the armed forces affected members of the community, he said, according to the statement.
Attacks by extremists and rebels are causing fear and terror in large parts of northwest and central Nigeria. The armed forces often target armed groups’ hideouts from the air, but villagers are reported to have been hit in some cases.