20 fishermen reportedly killed as another Nigerian military jet misses target in Borno

At least 20 fishermen have been reportedly killed after a fighter jet belonging to the Nigerian military bombarded a jihadist camp in the Kwatar Daban Masara village in Borno State.

The community lies in the Lake Chad Basin, straddling Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

Military sources described the area as a stronghold of the Islamic State for West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The incident which occurred on Sunday came just two weeks after another accidental airstrike on a village in Yobe State killed nine civilians.

A local fisherman, Labo Sani, who witnessed the airstrike, said the jet hit the fishing community at about 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, killing the 20 fishermen.

He added that several other persons were injured in the incident.

Sani said Kwatar Daban Masara, which lies on the shores of the lake, is the easiest gateway to ISWAP’s camps on several islands where the insurgents have made their stronghold because of the area’s topography.

Though the Nigerian Air Force is yet to issue an official statement on the incident, a security agent said the strike was based on “credible information” on the gathering of ISWAP fighters in the village since last Wednesday.