Civilians feared killed after reports of air strike on Nigerian market

Civilians are feared to have died after reports that Nigerian military jets struck a village market in the north-east of the country. The attack took place near the border between Yobe and Borno states while an aircraft was said to be engaged in an operation against Islamist militants in the area. The Nigerian Air Force said it carried out "mop-up" air strikes on "identified terrorist locations" within the Jilli axis of Borno State on Saturday, but has not confirmed that it struck the market nor confirmed casualties.

There are conflicting reports of the number of casualties as a result of the strike on the market. Reuters reported at least 200 people had been killed, citing a councillor, Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, as well as three residents and an official from an international humanitarian agency. Zanna Nur Geidam said, "It's a very devastating incident," and that the injured had been taken to hospitals in Yobe and Borno. The Sun and Punch reported sources saying that 10 people had been killed, while "several" others had sustained injuries. The Daily Trust reported that an eyewitness said at least 56 people had died, with 14 others hospitalised. Ahmed Ali, a 43-year-old market trader, told Reuters he was injured in the blast. Amnesty International's Nigeria branch condemned the strike, which it said had killed "over 100 people".

The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency said it had received "preliminary reports" of an incident at Jilli Market in the Gubio local government area, "which reportedly resulted in casualties affecting some marketers". Emergency response mechanisms had been "immediately evacuated", with assessment teams deployed to the area, but added that "details regarding the nature of the incident and the number of casualties remain unverified". The government of the neighbouring Yobe state said some of its