A Nigerian Air Force fighter jet on a mission against Boko Haram extremists mistakenly bombed a refugee camp on Tuesday, killing more than 100 refugees and wounding aid workers, a Borno State official said.
A Red Cross worker said 20 volunteers with the aid group had been killed.
Military commander Maj. Gen. Lucky Irabor confirmed the accidental bombardment in northeast Rann, near the border with Cameroon.
This is believed to be the first time Nigeria’s military has admitted to making such a mistake. Among the wounded were two soldiers and Nigerians working for Doctors Without Borders and the International Committee of the Red Cross, Gen. Irabor said.
An ICRC employee told the AP that 20 Red Cross volunteers were among the dead.
Doctors Without Borders said its team based in Rann had counted 50 bodies and treated 120 wounded. A statement from spokesman Etienne l’Hermitte urged authorities to facilitate land and air evacuations. — AP
