Some soldiers have reportedly been killed after a fighter jet belonging to Nigerian Air Force ‘mistakenly’ fired a bomb on ground troops in Mainok, Borno state.
According to TheCable, military sources said the air force “accidentally” hit the wrong coordinates while targeting Boko Haram insurgents who had attacked the troops on Sunday.
MDB earlier reported that Boko Haram attacked Mainok area in Borno state on Sunday, and reportedly overpowered the troops who called for reinforcement.
Read Also: Boko Haram Reportedly Attacks Military Base In Borno, Kill 30 Soldiers
The truck which was sent for reinforcement was targeted and shelled by the air strike following a flawed intelligence, sources said.
One of the soldiers in the affected area told the publication;
They (Boko Haram) came with heavy machines, about four MRAPS (mine-resistant ambush protected) vehicles and they overpowered the ground troops.
Troops sent signals for air support and when they came, it missed the main coordinates; where the air force shelled their bomb was on the location of troops instead of that of Boko Haram.
The aircraft had to turn back. They realised that they mistargeted (and) most of the soldiers started running inside the bush because they were already dislodged.
Also, a video of two soldiers narrating the incident from the affected scene has gone viral.
Airforce killed our ground soldiers thinking they were Boko Haram.
This is usually the outcome of recruiting or taking soldiers and officers by godfatherism… Killing own troops… pic.twitter.com/I9uMSiHnU0
— Shehu Zubairu (@ShehuZubair) April 26, 2021
Reacting to the report, in a tweet on Monday, the Air Force said it is investigating the alleged incident and that the general public will be duly updated as soon as the investigation is concluded.
The tweet reads;
The attention of the @NigAirForce has been drawn to reports alleging “How NAF Killed over 20 Nigerian Army Personnel by Accident in Air Strike” at Mainok which is about 55km to Maiduguri. The NAF wishes to state that visuals and reports been circulated are being investigated and the general public will be duly updated on the alleged incident. All enquiries should please be directed to the Office of the Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force.
investigated and the general public will be duly updated on the alleged incident. All inquiries should please be directed to the Office of the Director of Public Relations and Information, Headquarters Nigerian Air Force or forwarded to info@airforce.mil.ng.
– 2/2— Nigerian Air Force (@NigAirForce) April 26, 2021
The incident happened less than two weeks after the air force “mistakenly” bombed a village in Damboa LGA of Borno, killing 17 people including women and children.
A similar incident in January 2017 when the air force killed more than 100 internally displaced persons (IDPs) during an accidental bombing.
