Nigerian Military Confirms Airstrike Mistakenly Killed 10 Civilians

Photo : AP

An airstrike in northwestern Nigeria, meant to hit an armed group, mistakenly killed at least 10 civilians on Christmas Day. The attack happened in the Silame area of Sokoto state. The Nigerian military had planned to target a base used by the Lakurawa insurgent group, but the bomb hit the wrong target. The civilians died because of explosions after the attack.

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The Sokoto state government first said the airstrike happened on Wednesday, but the Nigerian military later explained that the air force directly hit the insurgents, and the civilians were killed by the blasts from the bombs.

The Lakurawa group became active in Nigeria after problems in nearby countries like Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso. They started by helping local communities fight against cattle thieves but later tried to force strict Islamic laws in areas near the border.

Sadly, airstrikes on civilians are becoming more common in Nigeria. Last year, 85 civilians died when a drone attack hit a religious gathering by mistake. Since 2017, around 400 civilians have died from such mistakes, according to a security group based in Lagos.

Before the Lakurawa group, Nigeria had been fighting Boko Haram in the northeast. Boko Haram started its attacks in 2009, aiming to take control and force its own version of Islamic law. Boko Haram has split into several smaller groups, causing over 35,000 deaths and forcing more than 2 million people to flee their homes. Many people in Nigeria are struggling and need help from other countries.