A Nigerian army drone strike accidentally killed at least 85 civilians observing a Muslim festival in the north-west on Sunday, the country’s armed forces have admitted.
The national emergency management agency said in a statement: “The Northwest Zonal Office has received details from the local authorities that 85 dead bodies have so far been buried while search is still ongoing.”
The Kaduna state governor, Uba Sani, said: “We are determined to prevent a repeat of this tragedy and reassure our people that their protection would be prioritised in the sustained fight against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.”
Nigeria’s armed forces regularly carry out airstrikes on Boko Haram jihadists and militants fighting insurgencies in the north of the country.
While the jihadists in the north-east are motivated by religion as well as resources, those in the north-west have copied their tactics of mass kidnappings and raids without their ideology, taking over vast swathes of the region.
At least 20 fishers were killed and several injured in an attack in September 2021 in Kwatar Daban Masara on Lake Chad in the north-east, when the military mistook them for militants.
The original article contains 672 words, the summary contains 188 words. Saved 72%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A Nigerian army drone strike accidentally killed at least 85 civilians observing a Muslim festival in the north-west on Sunday, the country’s armed forces have admitted.
The national emergency management agency said in a statement: “The Northwest Zonal Office has received details from the local authorities that 85 dead bodies have so far been buried while search is still ongoing.”
The Kaduna state governor, Uba Sani, said: “We are determined to prevent a repeat of this tragedy and reassure our people that their protection would be prioritised in the sustained fight against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.”
Nigeria’s armed forces regularly carry out airstrikes on Boko Haram jihadists and militants fighting insurgencies in the north of the country.
While the jihadists in the north-east are motivated by religion as well as resources, those in the north-west have copied their tactics of mass kidnappings and raids without their ideology, taking over vast swathes of the region.
At least 20 fishers were killed and several injured in an attack in September 2021 in Kwatar Daban Masara on Lake Chad in the north-east, when the military mistook them for militants.
The original article contains 672 words, the summary contains 188 words. Saved 72%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!