Nigerian air force strike on refugee camp ‘kills 52’
Medecins Sans Frontieres says at least 52 killed and 120 wounded as bombs intended for Boko Haram hit refugee camp
Kano — At least 52 aid workers and civilians were killed on Tuesday when an air force jet accidentally bombed a camp in northeast Nigeria instead of Boko Haram militants, medical charity MSF said. The incident happened at about 9.00am in Rann, in the far north of Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadists’ insurgency, as food was being distributed to displaced people. There was no official death toll from the military, which blamed "the fog of war" for the mistake, but one senior commander described the casualties from the air strike as "huge". One local resident, Abba Abiso, said: "At least 25 were killed and many more injured." The medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said at least 120 people were wounded and 52 killed following today’s bombing, calling the attack "shocking and unacceptable". The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said six Nigerian Red Cross members were among those killed while 13 others were injured. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari sai...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.