A fighter jet targeting terrorists has accidentally bombed villagers at Kunkuna in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Safana is the LGA where an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Aminu Umar, was gunned down by bandits, on Tuesday
The incident reportedly took place at about 11:00 pm on Tuesday, shortly after President Muhammadu Buhari’s advance team convoy was attacked by terrorists along the Dutsinma -Yantumaki road, in the Dutsinma council area.
Dutsinma shares borders with Safana council area, and terrorists who operate in Dutsinma are often known to escape to Safana where the dreaded Zakka forest is located.
Zakka forest extends into Zamfara state, and there are reports that forests within these areas are terrorists’ enclaves.
It was learnt that the jets were bombing terrorists that had ostensibly attacked president Buhari’s convoy when the incident occurred.
According to sources, many of the villagers lost their lives when the bombs exploded while several others sustained injuries.
It was also gathered that many homes were levelled to the ground in the process.
Relevant security spokespersons in the state were yet to issue any statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.
The council chairman and house of assembly member from the area were also unavailable to speak on the issue.
There have been several instances of accidental bombing involving the Air Force. One of such incidents happened in Rann, a border town in Kala/Balge Local Government Area of Borno State, on 17 January 2017.
A Nigerian Air Force jet mistakenly bombed an Internally Displaced Persons camp. They had believed it was a Boko Haram encampment.
The bombing left at least 115 people dead, including six Red Cross aid workers, and left more than 100 injured.
Four years later, a military jet involved in the counter-insurgency operation in the North East bombed a village in Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State, killing at least 10 villagers.
Yunusari is in the Northern part of Yobe State, sharing international border with Niger Republic.
