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In a harrowing incident that has drawn fierce condemnation and scrutiny, a Nigerian airstrike targeting a suspected terrorist stronghold has claimed the lives of up to 200 people, predominantly civilians, at Jilli market in the north-east. The devastating strike on Saturday has raised urgent questions about the military’s operational decisions amid a protracted insurgency against the Islamic State West Africa Province (Iswap) and the notorious Boko Haram group.
A Misguided Attack
Survivors and local leaders are grappling with the aftermath of an airstrike that the military has described as a “precision operation.” The bombing, which took place in a bustling market along the borders of Borno and Yobe states, has left a grim legacy of destruction. While the military claims it was targeting Iswap members, many eyewitness accounts reveal a different narrative, suggesting that innocent lives were caught in the crossfire of a conflict that has raged for over a decade.
Local councillor Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam described the attack as “devastating,” lamenting the loss of life while stating that over 200 individuals perished in the chaos. Reports from Amnesty International corroborate the rising death toll, indicating that more than 100 bodies have been accounted for, with numbers expected to climb as recovery efforts continue.
The Military’s Justification
In a statement released via X, military spokesperson Sani Uba defended the airstrike, asserting that intelligence had confirmed the presence of a terrorist enclave in the area. “The target was struck with high accuracy, resulting in the destruction of the identified terrorist logistics hub,” Uba stated. However, the claim of a “successful” operation is met with scepticism by many, including those directly impacted by the strike.
Mala Garba, a local trader who survived the attack, voiced his disbelief at the military’s assertions, stating, “I don’t know if there were jihadists at the market. We are just ordinary people.” His account, shared from a hospital bed in Maiduguri, highlights the disconnect between the military’s narrative and the grim reality faced by civilians.