A military airplane in Nigeria accidentally killed at least 16 civilians in the Zamfara State northwest of the African country after mistaking them for criminal gangs, Africa News reported.
The air raid is the third accidental killing of its kind in just over a year while the military was targeting rebel groups and extremists.
According to the state governor’s Spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, Nigeria’s Air Force was targeting rebels in the northern Zurmi and Maradun regions. The rebels have been reported to carry out mass kidnappings and kill locals.
“Regrettably, some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and local vigilantes were also affected during the operation in Tungar Kara, resulting in the loss of lives,” Idris said in a statement.
He added that the civilians were “mistakenly identified as bandits fleeing” from the area in Zurmi on the Niger border.
The Air Force said it had launched a “comprehensive investigation” into the incident and promised to work to minimize “any harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure.”