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World|life|January 18, 2017 / 02:44 PM
Nigeria air strike error kills dozens in refugee camp

AKIPRESS.COM - A Nigerian military jet has mistakenly bombed a camp for displaced people in the north-east, killing dozens.

Nigeria's air force killed at least 52 people and injured 120 in an air strike on a refugee camp in the country's northeast on Tuesday, a spokesman from Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said after the military earlier disclosed the strike was meant to target Boko Haram militants, Reuters reported.

MSF said the strike occurred in Rann in Borno state, the epicentre of the jihadist group's seven-year-long bid to create an Islamic caliphate. Nigerian General Lucky Irabor, a regional military commander, located the incident at Kala Balge, a district that includes Rann.

Irabor, who said it was too early to determine the cause of the incident, told journalists an unknown number of civilians had been killed, adding that humanitarian workers from MSF and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were among the injured.

"At least 52 people were killed and 120 wounded," said Tim Shenk, a spokesman for the MSF medical charity. "The organization's medical and surgical teams in the region are preparing to treat evacuated patients," he added.

An ICRC spokeswoman said six Nigeria Red Cross members were killed and 13 wounded.

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