Fears that around 200 civilians were killed in the bombing of a popular market in Nigeria
Nigerian warplanes bombed a market in a town in Nigeria last night while pursuing suspected militants in the northeast of the country.
Reuters reported that there are fears that at least 200 civilians were killed during the bombing.
Boko Haram group
According to the Nigerian Air Force, it killed members of Boko Haram in the Gili area of Borno State, but made no mention of targeting a market.
She did not respond to Reuters' requests for further comment.
The incident occurred in a village in Yobe State, on the border with Borno State, where a long-running insurgency has killed thousands and displaced millions.
Lawan Zana Nur Gidam, a member of the local council and local leader of the Fuchimiram constituency of Gidam district in Yobe State, said that the injured were transferred to hospitals in Yobe and Borno States.
He continued in a telephone interview: "A truly horrific incident in the Jili market. At this moment, more than 200 people have lost their lives as a result of the airstrike on the market.".
Human losses among the vendors
Three residents and an official from an international humanitarian organization reported the raid and the expected number of deaths.
The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency said it had received initial reports of an incident at the Jeli market that reportedly resulted in casualties among vendors, and that it had activated its emergency response mode.
A 43-year-old resident of the area, who works as a medical supplies vendor in the market, revealed that he was injured in the explosion.
He continued from the hospital: «I felt very scared and tried to run away, but one of my friends pulled me back and we all lay down on the ground.».
