AFP, Maiduguri

Dozens of people in northeastern Nigeria died in airstrikes by the military, which claimed to be targeting jihadists, local residents, Amnesty International and a UN security report said Sunday.

Civilians have been caught in the crossfire and killed in military air strikes aimed at militants, though the authorities sometimes dispute hitting civilians.

Africa’s most populous country has been fighting a jihadist insurgency for 17 years, since Boko Haram’s 2009 uprising, which has seen the emergence of powerful splinter groups including Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The latest airstrikes on the village of Jilli occurred on Saturday, with the death tolls differing according to the sources.

A UN security seen by AFP stated that “4 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets launched airstrikes that mistakenly killed at least 56 people and injured 14 others at the Jilli market... on April 11.”

“This occurred during a military operation targeting Boko Haram fighters who visited the market to conduct terrorism activities,” it said.