Rita Olaniyi

A Nigerian Air Force airstrike on a market in northeastern Nigeria has killed at least around 100 civilians, including children, according to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, in what officials say was part of an ongoing operation against Islamist insurgents.

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The strike hit Jilli village, near the border of Yobe and Borno states, as markets were in full operation and civilians gathered in large numbers. Local authorities say the death toll could exceed 200, with at least 35 others injured.

The Nigerian military said the operation was aimed at fighters linked to Boko Haram, an armed group that has operated in the region for more than 17 years and is known to use civilian areas for logistics and supplies.

Jilli village is widely regarded as a Boko Haram stronghold, and its market has been repeatedly described by residents and security officials as a place where both civilians and militants converge for trade and resupply.

The Nigerian Air Force acknowledged conducting the strike and said it was based on “credible intelligence” in coordination with ground forces, adding that the objective was to disrupt insurgent movements and prevent future attacks.

Local authorities, however, disputed parts of that framing, saying the strike targeted a Boko Haram position but that civilians present in the market were also affected. The incident has been described by some international reporting as a possible “friendly fire” or misidentification event.

The tragedy highlights the persistent risks associated with counterinsurgency operations in Nigeria’s northeast, where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have carried out attacks for nearly two decades.

Since the insurgency began, more than 40,000 people have been killed and an estimated 2 million displaced across the region. Humanitarian and monitoring groups have also documented repeated incidents of civilian casualties during military air operations targeting militant positions.

According to Associated Press reporting, at least 500 civilians have been killed in similar friendly fire incidents since 2017, underscoring long-standing concerns over targeting accuracy, intelligence reliability, and the use of air power in densely populated conflict zones.

The latest strike is likely to renew scrutiny of military tactics in the region, even as Nigerian authorities maintain that sustained air and ground operations remain essential to containing insurgent activity and preventing attacks on rural communities.