A Nigerian military jet mistakenly bombed a village in Katsina State, killing six members of the same family while targeting armed bandits in the area.
The incident occurred on Saturday in Zakka village, Safana Local Government Area, when a military aircraft deployed after an attack on a nearby police base. According to local sources, the bandits had already fled when the jet circled the village and dropped a bomb on a cluster of huts at the outskirts.
Eyewitness Muntari Sada confirmed that all six victims were from the same family, and their remains had to be gathered in bags for burial. His account was supported by two other residents who also confirmed the deaths.
This tragic event adds to a growing list of accidental airstrikes in northern Nigeria. In January, a military jet mistakenly killed 16 people in Zamfara State while targeting suspected criminal gangs. Similarly, in December 2023, a misdirected airstrike in Kaduna State struck a religious gathering, killing at least 85 people, mostly women and children.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred in January 2017, when a Nigerian Air Force jet mistakenly bombed a displacement camp in Rann, Borno State, killing at least 112 people.
Efforts to get official comments from the military and police regarding the latest strike in Katsina have so far been unsuccessful.
