Niger: Dozens of Mourners Killed in Air strike

Local Editor

Thirty seven people attending a funeral ceremony in Abadam village on the border with Nigeria were killed in an air strike in southern Niger when an unidentified plane began dropping bombs.

The incident came as the Nigerian army declared more than 300 militants were killed in nearby north-east Nigeria during operations targeting Boko Haram.

Likewise, two soldiers died and 10 more were wounded in Borno state.
Nigerian defense spokesman Chris Olukoladestated that a number of Boko Haram fighters had been captured and weapons and equipment seized.

However, the number of militant deaths had not been independently verified.
According to military officials, an air strike had hit a mosque in the village of Abadam.

Adding to that, the deputy mayor of Abadam, Ibrahim Ari said that a plane had dropped three bombs.

He added that more than 20 people had been injured during the incident.
Though, it is not yet clear who was responsible for the bombardment, but Nigeria had denied responsibility.

Dele Alonge, a spokesman for the Nigeria's air force commented, "It's not to my knowledge and there has not been any report from our people of such an incident".
Nonetheless, Niger had been the target of bombings in the past, blamed on Boko Haram since it widened its brutal insurgency.

Thousands of civilians and soldiers had been killed during the group's campaign for a breakaway independent state.

Although Niger, Chad and Cameroon had recently formed a military coalition with Nigeria to help combat the threat, Boko Haram still continued to carry out attacks.
MrOlukolade stated, "What you see are elements of their desperate response to the ongoing onslaught on their various camps and locations.It is expected and it will be contained accordingly".

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team