Airstrikes in Northeast Nigeria Kill Dozens, Trigger Civilian Casualty Probe
Maiduguri— Dozens of people were killed in military airstrikes in northeastern Nigeria, residents, rights groups and a United Nations report said, as the military said it was targeting militant positions linked to a long-running insurgency.
The strikes hit the village of Jilli on Saturday, with casualty figures varying widely. A UN security report seen by AFP said at least 56 people were killed and 14 injured when Nigerian Air Force fighter jets carried out the operation targeting suspected militants.
Amnesty International said more than 100 people were killed and 35 seriously wounded, while local chief Lawan Zanna Nur estimated total casualties, including injured, at around 200. A market committee member, Bulama Mulima Abbas, said 36 bodies had been counted at the scene, describing the victims as traders.
The Nigerian military said it had conducted a “precision air strike” on a known militant enclave and logistics hub near Jilli, reporting that “scores of terrorists” were killed but making no reference to civilian casualties.
In a separate statement, the air force said it had launched an investigation into reports that the strike may have hit a local market, causing civilian deaths.
Nigeria has faced repeated incidents of civilian casualties during air operations against insurgents, including fighters from Boko Haram and its splinter faction Islamic State West Africa Province, which have waged an insurgency since 2009.
Recent cases include a January 2025 airstrike in Zamfara state that killed at least 16 people after vigilantes were mistaken for armed groups, and a December 2023 strike in Kaduna state that killed at least 85 people when a religious gathering was misidentified as militants.
Violence has intensified in recent months, with more than 100 people killed across northern Nigeria in the past 10 days in attacks attributed to both insurgents and criminal gangs, according to local accounts.The security situation has drawn international scrutiny, including from Donald Trump, whose administration has pressed Nigeria to intensify its campaign against militant groups.
The United States has also deployed about 200 troops to provide technical and training support to Nigerian forces.
Nigeria’s government has stepped up legal action against suspected militants, with Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi saying authorities had prosecuted 508 cases and secured nearly 386 convictions in mass terrorism trials.
