Military Drone Mistakenly Strikes in Nigeria... 85 Civilians Killed

At least 85 civilians were killed and 66 injured in a mistaken airstrike by a military drone in Kaduna State, northwestern Nigeria, on the 3rd (local time), Al Jazeera and other media reported on the 5th.

On the night of the 3rd, residents gathered in Tudunbiri village in the Igabi area of Kaduna State, 163 km north of the capital Abuja, to celebrate the birth of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were struck by a military drone airstrike. Uba Sani, governor of Kaduna State, stated, "The drone attack aimed at Islamic insurgents targeted civilians," adding, "Many local residents were killed or injured due to the military's mistaken attack." Although the military authorities did not announce the number of casualties, local residents said 85 people died, many of whom were women and children.

On the same day, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the accidental bombing and ordered a thorough investigation, AFP reported. The Nigerian military has been fighting northern insurgents, including the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram and its faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), for over ten years. During this period, there have been at least 14 cases of civilian deaths from February 2014 to September last year.