Over 10 persons were feared dead when a fighter jet mistakenly bombed two communities in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State in the early hours of Wednesday.
Many others were also injured. The jet, targeting Lakurawa jihadists in the Surame forest, dropped bombs on assemblies of innocent villagers in Gidan Bisa, Gitta Rana, and Runtuwa villages of Silame Ward in Silame Local Government Area.
According to Yahaya Mohammed Silame, a resident of the area and former information officer of Silame Local Government, one of the affected villages, Gitta Rana, is home to the current chairman of Silame Local Government Area.
He said that about 10 villagers were reportedly killed, although many believe the death toll is much higher.
Several victims, who suffered varying degrees of injuries from the airstrike, are receiving treatment in hospital for shrapnel wounds.
Also, the chairman of Silame Local Government, Abubakar Mohammed Daftarana, has disclosed that his council is still assessing the extent of damage caused by the aerial bombardment.
“The communities were sitting peacefully outside their homes taking a break when they heard the thundering sounds of bombs dropped by the jet as it passed overhead,” he said.
Surame Forest is believed to be a hideout for the self-acclaimed jihadists known as Lakurawa.
Attempts to reach the public relations officer of the Sokoto State Police Command for confirmation were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.