A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet mistakenly bombed two communities in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Wednesday morning, leaving several villagers feared dead and others injured.
The affected communities, Gidan Sama and Rumtuwa, were hit around 7 a.m. The jet was reportedly targeting Lakurawa terrorists in the region when the tragic incident occurred.
Describing the attack as devastating, the chairman of Silame LGA, Alhaji Abubakar Muhammad Daftarana, expressed his shock at the incident.
“The villagers were sitting peacefully when the bombs started dropping on the communities. They were innocent and peace-loving people with no criminal record,” he said.
Daftarana added that it was too early to determine the exact number of casualties as authorities still assessed them.
This incident adds to a growing number of unintended civilian casualties resulting from military operations aimed at combating terrorism in northern Nigeria.