Amnesty International said on Sunday that more than 100 people died when an airstrike hit a market in the village of Jilli in northeast Nigeria, citing accounts from survivors.
According to the rights group, witnesses reported that three military jets struck the crowded market. Geidam General Hospital’s emergency unit had received 35 people with serious injuries, Amnesty added. Isa Sanusi, Amnesty’s Nigeria director, said the organisation had spoken with hospital staff, the person in charge of casualties and survivors; he said they had images of victims that included children.
Nigeria’s military confirmed it had carried out what it described as a precision strike on a location near the abandoned village of Jilli, saying the operation was carefully planned and intelligence-driven. The armed forces said the target was a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub. The attack is reported to have occurred on Saturday.
The incident comes amid Nigeria’s long-running campaign against Boko Haram and other militant groups in the northeast.
Edited by: Jenipher Camino Gonzalez
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