Nigerian airstrike kills 37 mourners in Niger | World Defense

Nigerian airstrike kills 37 mourners in Niger

Redheart

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And these are the people who were requesting the West to give them weapons to fight terrorists? Proves that they can't differentiate between terrorists and non-combatants and giving them no weapons was the right decision made.

Sources: Nigerian airstrike kills 37 mourners in Niger - CNN.com

"A military jet on an operational mission against Boko Haram targets accidentally attacked a funeral gathering in Abadam Faransa, killing several people," the security source said Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

Resident Abatcha Kaloma, who assisted with the burials of the dead, said 37 people were killed and 20 were wounded, figures backed up by a community leader who didn't want to be named.

It was unclear which nation's military carried out the bombing, but residents blamed Nigeria, a charge it denied. Air Commodore Dele Alonge, a spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, said the military didn't conduct air raids in that area Tuesday.

The security source wouldn't say where the plane was from.

Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria have in recent weeks stepped up a coordinated offensive against Boko Haram, which is based in Nigeria. Chad and Nigeria have used fighter jets as part of a regional alliance to defeat the Islamist group that has recently escalated its deadly attacks on Nigeria and its neighbors.

The incident took place around 6:30 p.m. outside the home of a local official who died hours earlier.

Boko Haram, whose name translates as "Western education is sin," has been waging a yearslong campaign of terror aimed at instituting its extreme version of Sharia law. Its tactics have intensified in recent years, from battling government soldiers to acts disproportionately affecting civilians -- such as raids on villages, mass kidnappings, assassinations, market bombings and attacks on churches and unaffiliated mosques.

Much of this violence has taken place in Nigeria. But neighboring countries, such as Cameroon and Chad, have also been hit increasingly hard.

Niger became more of a target after its decision to join the regional alliance fighting the Islamist group.
 

DeltaForce103

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One has to wonder why a peaceful social gathering was close enough to be hit, even accidentally, by airstrikes against Boko Haram. It is unfortunate that the region has to deal with military incompetence in addition to the brutality of terrorist groups.
 

xTinx

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I heard from BBC earlier and the anchor mentioned that they have yet to verify whether the mourners were really killed by the airstrike. As to which camp should be responsible for their deaths, authorities are still investigating the matter. That would be a huge blow to Nigeria, having killed their own people accidentally in an attempt to protect them.
 

vegito12

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Terrorists don't think about the innocents just want to bomb the region and take lives for revenge and don't think about others which is not going to do much good. It is sad that people lost their life and also, that it is done by the military so need to know who the people are before trying to shoot or bombing the area. People were attending a funeral but the outcome was different and also that, it is sad it came to this and wander what else is happening over there.
 
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