Nigeria's military has denied a rights group's claim that an airstrike killed 100 civilians at a market over the weekend, as attention turns again to the country's long-running fight against armed groups in the volatile north.
Amnesty International's Allegation
Amnesty International in a statement on Monday said a military airstrike on Sunday hit a market in Tumfa, Zamfara state. A Red Cross official in the state, Ibrahim Bello Garba, confirmed the strike to The Associated Press and reported that 'multiple civilians' were killed.
'In one village alone, 80 people were buried and there is no evidence that any of those people killed is a bandit. They are all civilians. The majority of them are young girls and small boys,' Amnesty International Nigeria director Isa Sanusi told the AP.
Military's Response
Nigeria's military confirmed an airstrike to the AP but stated that 'no verifiable evidence of civilian casualties as being suggested in the media has been established.' A spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, said 'civilians are not the target, and everything is being done to avoid civilian casualties,' adding that military operations continued in the area.
Context of Accidental Strikes
The Amnesty allegation is the latest in a series of accidental military airstrikes hitting civilians in the West African nation, which faces threats from militant groups including Boko Haram. Last month, an accidental strike by Nigeria's air force killed 100 people.
Analysts blame a lack of coordination between the air force and personnel on the ground for such strikes, which have killed hundreds of civilians. Nigerian officials have maintained that targets are members of armed groups. Armed groups often mix with locals in areas where they operate, complicating efforts to target them.
Omolehin reported from Sokoto, Nigeria.
