A Nigerian military airstrike on a village market has reportedly killed more than 200 people, according to local officials and residents. This bombing, which occurred in the northeast of the country, is part of a series of incidents in which civilians have been killed during operations targeting armed groups.
According to initial reports, Nigerian military aircraft were targeting Islamist militants when they struck the market on Saturday evening. The scale of the death toll has sparked serious concern and reignited criticism of the methods used in the fight against the insurgents.
This tragic event is not isolated. In January 2025, another strike in the northwest of the country had already killed at least 15 civilians, according to witnesses, although the army has opened an investigation to verify this information.
A few weeks earlier, in December 2024, the Nigerian army had acknowledged that a strike targeting an armed group in Sokoto State had killed 10 civilians, citing secondary explosions as the cause of these losses.
These incidents highlight the difficulties faced by security forces in their operations against armed groups often embedded within the civilian population. They also raise questions about the rules of engagement and measures to protect civilians.
As authorities continue their fight against the insurgency, these deadly strikes risk fueling distrust among local populations and further complicating the security situation in the region.
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