Airstrikes kill 7 children in Niger, Nigeria blamed

The Nigerian military has killed and wounded children in an airstrike in neighbouring Niger, a local governor in Niger, state television and an aid agency said on Sunday, although Nigeria's armed forces said they were still investigating.

The attack took place in the village of Nachade in the region of Maradi, Niger, on Friday, a few kilometres from the border with Nigeria, said Chaibou Aboubacar, the governor of Maradi.

Seven children have been killed in Niger in an air strike by the Nigerian army targeting "bandits", a local governor and state media have said.

Five more were hurt in the apparently accidental strike, the governor of Niger's Maradi region told AFP.

Governor Chaibou Aboubacar said four were killed instantly and three died on their way to hospital. State TV said the attack happened in Nachade village.

Nigerian officials said an investigation had begun.

Mr Aboubacar said the victims' parents were attending a ceremony and "the children were probably playing" when the air strikes hit them.

The specific reason for the strike was not clear. It occurred in a region where banditry is common and where both governments fear that Islamist insurgents linked to Islamic State are gaining ground.

Niger and Nigeria have been conducting joint military operations against armed gangs responsible for a wave of kidnappings and killings in the region.

Since 2018 Niger has reinforced military patrols along its border with Nigeria to prevent incursions of the gangs.

Published on: Monday, February 21, 2022, 08:45 AM IST