- Title: Nigerian air force kills 50 and wounds 120 in northeast - MSF
- Date: 17th January 2017
- Summary: MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA (JANUARY 17, 2017) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MILITARY PERSONNEL AT BRIEFING MILITARY PERSONNEL TAKING NOTES MILITARY PERSONNEL LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) REGIONAL MILITARY COMMANDER, GENERAL LUCKY IRABOR, SAYING: "This morning today we received reports of the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists around somewhere in Kala Balge local government area in Borno state. We got the coordinates and I directed that the air should go to address the problem. Unfortunately, the strike was conducted, but it turned out that locals somewhere around were affected. I'm yet to get the details of the casualties, but we have some civilians that have been killed, others are wounded and we have two of our soldiers that are also wounded. Among those that are wounded are local staff of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) as well as ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) so I thought that you should know very quickly for you to also disseminate. These are results of the fog of war. It's unfortunate. That's the reason why this war must come to an end because the costs are certainly not good enough. It would be better for us to end it." MILITARY PERSONNEL LISTENING
- Embargoed: 31st January 2017 19:15
- Keywords: Air force air strike refugee camp dead wounded Boko Haram MSF Medecins Sans Frontieres
- Location: MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA
- City: MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZH0SAV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: AUDIO AS INCOMING
Nigeria's air force killed 50 people and injured 120 in an air strike on a refugee camp in the northeast on Tuesday, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said.
The military said the strike had targeted Boko Haram. Civilians, aid workers and two soldiers have been killed in the strike, regional military commander, General Lucky Irabor said.
"This morning today we received reports of the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists around somewhere in Kala Balge local government area in Borno state. We got the coordinates and I directed that the air should go to address the problem," Irabor said.
"I'm yet to get the details of the casualties but we have some civilians that have been killed, others are wounded and we have two of our soldiers that are also wounded. Among those that are wounded are local staff of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) as well as ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross)," he added.
Irabor put the incident down to the "fog of war".
MSF said the strike occurred in Rann in Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadist group's seven-year-old bid to create an Islamic caliphate. Rann is in Kala Balge district.
Irabor said it was too early to determine the cause of the mistake.
A spokeswoman for ICRC said six Nigerian Red Cross members were killed and 13 were wounded.
The insurgency has killed more than 15,000 people and forced two million to flee their homes, many of whom have moved to camps because it has been too dangerous to return home.
The air strike came amid an offensive against Boko Haram by Nigeria's military over the last few weeks.
Boko Haram has stepped up attacks in the last few weeks as the end of the rainy season has enabled its fighters to move more easily in the bush.
A statement issued by the presidency said the air strike was a "regrettable operational mistake" that happened during the "final phase of mopping up insurgents in the northeast". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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