Residents accidently get murdered in airstrike on insurgents in Nigeria
(MENAFN) At least ten civilians were unintentionally killed in a military airstrike targeting a terrorist hideout in Nigeria's Sokoto state, the Nigerian army confirmed on Friday. The strike occurred on Christmas Day, targeting the base of the Lakurawa insurgent group in the Silame area.
Defense spokesperson General Edward Buba explained that the airstrike successfully hit the insurgents' logistics base, but the resulting secondary explosions led to civilian casualties. The incident is a part of Nigeria's ongoing struggle with insurgent groups, including boko haram and ISIS affiliates, which have caused widespread violence in the region.
This is not the first time civilians have been caught in the crossfire of military operations. Last year, a Nigerian Air Force drone strike in Kaduna state killed 85 civilians, and in 2022, an airstrike in Zamfara state killed over 60 people. Other tragic incidents have included a 2017 attack in Borno state that killed at least 112 people in a camp for displaced persons.
The Lakurawa insurgent group, identified as a new militia operating in the northwest, has been crossing into Nigeria from Niger and Mali following the military coup in Niamey. Tensions have risen between Nigeria and Niger's new military government, with accusations of foreign involvement in destabilizing the region.
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