At least 200 people are feared dead after Nigerian military jets struck a village market while pursuing Islamist militants in the northeast of the country on Saturday night, a councillor for the area and residents said on Sunday.
The incident occurred during a military operation in the remote northeastern region, where the jets targeted militants but hit the market area, according to the local councillor and eyewitness accounts from residents.
Reports of the high civilian casualty toll emerged on Sunday, with local sources expressing deep concern over the scale of the loss of life. The exact circumstances of how the market came under fire during the pursuit of the militants remain unclear from the initial accounts.
No further details on the precise location of the village or the identity of those killed were immediately available. The Nigerian authorities have not yet commented publicly on the reported strike.
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