President Buhari has received with deep sadness and regret,
the accidental bombing of a civilian community in Rann, Borno State, by
the Nigerian Air Force, engaged in the final phase of mopping up
insurgents in the North-east.
At least 120 people were wounded
and 52 killed in the aerial bombing including ten humanitarian Aid
workers with Red Cross and MSF International.
Nigerian military jet accidentally kills over 50 civilians & humanitarian aid workers in Borno settlement
The Nigerian military on Tuesday
said a fighter jet accidentally shot some civilians and humanitarian
aid workers during an operation in Kala Balge, Borno State.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor, who disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday in Maiduguri, said soldiers got information of
movement of Boko Haram members and deployed ground troops and air cover
to tackle the terrorists.
"This morning, we received a
report about the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists around Kala Balge
area of Maiduguri. I coordinated and I directed that the air component
of the operation should go and address the problem.
"Unfortunately,
the strike was conducted but it turned out that other
civilians were somewhere around the area and they were affected. So
far, it is a little bit disturbing; death has occurred. There are
casualties; there were deaths and injuries but on the actual number of
casualties, we would get back to you later.
"I am yet to get the
number of casualties of civilians killed, but two soldiers were also
affected. Some humanitarian staff of Medicines Sans Frontiers and some
staff
of International Committee of Red Cross(ICRC) were also affected.
"We are sending helicopters to evacuate those that were critically wounded, including our wounded soldiers," Irabor added
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