Military Airstrike Accidentally Kills 37 Mourners in Niger

A military plane on an operational mission against Boko Haram on Tuesday accidentally dropped  a bomb on a funeral gathering in a Niger village, killing 37 mourners and wounding 20 others.

The incident occurred in the Abadam Faransa region, CNN reports.

It is still unclear which country’s military carried out the bombing. However, some residents in the region blamed it on the Nigerian military. They have denied the allegations.

Spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Dele Alonge, said the military didn’t conduct air raids in that area on Tuesday.

In recent weeks, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger have stepped up their collaborative efforts to combat Boko Haram. Nigeria and Chad have used fighter jets as part of their strategy to defeat the terrorist group.

Photo Credit: CNN