An estimated 30 civilians were killed when an unidentified airplane dropped a bomb on a Nigerian border village, military sources based nearby in Niger said.
Two military officials in the town of Bosso, where soldiers from Chad and Niger are massed in preparation for operations against Boko Haram, said the incident occurred in a village across the border in the Abadam area of Nigeria's Borno state.
“We don’t know whose plane it was. We understand that the victims are residents who were gathered for a ceremony but who were mistaken for terrorists,” said a military source. “Around 30 people perished.”
A second military source in Bosso, which is about 20km (12 miles) from the scene of the bombing, confirmed details of the incident.
Boko Haram, which is seeking to carve an Islamic emirate out of northeastern Nigeria, killed an estimated 10,000 people last year. It has also expanded its zone of operations across the region's porous borders.
Amid growing international concern, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin are preparing a 8,700-strong force to defeat the insurgents.
Insurgents killed
The bombing followed the news that Nigerian forces have killed more than 300 Boko Haram fighters during an operation to recapture 11 towns and villages since the start of the week, as regional neighbours also pounded the militants.
“Weapons and equipment were also captured and some destroyed,” defence spokesman major-general Chris Olukolade said in a statement. “However, two soldiers lost their lives while 10 others were wounded.”
It was not possible to independently verify the military’s statement.
Cameroonian forces supported by Chad’s air force carried out air strikes and used heavy artillery against Boko Haram in the village of Gourgouroon, on the Nigeria-Cameroon border, Cameroon army spokesman Colonel Didier Badjeck said.
Boko Haram was cited as a reason for postponing by six weeks the Nigerian presidential election that had been due to take place this past Saturday. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a video monitored by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group in which he threatened to disrupt the upcoming vote.
But in the past two weeks progress seems to have been made against the insurgent group, as neighbours Chad, Cameroon and Niger have weighed in.
Nigerian soldiers recaptured the strategic town of Monguno, on the shores of Lake Chad, from Boko Haram on Monday. More than 5,000 people fled the town after the insurgents seized it last month.
Mr Olukolade said troops had seized five types of armoured fighting vehicles, an anti-aircraft gun, 50 cases of bombs, eight different types of machine guns, some 50 cases of ammunition and 300 motorcycles the rebels used to launch attacks.
Donor support
The growing cooperation between Nigeria’s neighbours is also attracting donor support to fight the Islamists, with the US army providing equipment and intelligence to allies.
Presidents from the 10-nation Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC) pledged on Monday to create an emergency fund $87 million (about €76.5 million) to the fight.
Reuters