A tragic military airstrike on Saturday reportedly killed 15 civilians and left over 30 others injured in several communities within Maradun and Zurmi Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.

Residents in the affected areas confirmed the incident, saying it occurred during the evening after local vigilantes had repelled an attempted attack by bandits. According to witnesses, the airstrike mistakenly targeted villagers, mistaking them for the fleeing assailants.

A resident of Jan-Bako, who gave his name as Musa, recounted the ordeal: “Bandits initially stormed our villages on Friday, intending to launch an attack. However, we fought back and chased them away after an exchange of gunfire. They regrouped the next day and returned, but we were ready and managed to repel them once again.”

Following the clash, some villagers reportedly climbed nearby hills to monitor potential bandit movements. Musa described what happened next: “While we were watching from the hills, a military jet arrived and bombed the area, killing 15 residents and injuring many others.”

Another resident, Muhammad Aminu, expressed similar sentiments: “We had prior warning about the bandits’ return and prepared ourselves. After successfully defending the village, the airstrike happened, killing our people. The bandits had already left by then.”

Auwalu Ibrahim, a community member, confirmed the death toll and noted that many injured victims were taken to Bako and Moriki General Hospitals for treatment. “The situation is heartbreaking. We fought off the bandits, only for our people to be mistaken for them by the military,” he lamented.

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