An airstrike that was aimed at bombarding hideout of bandits has killed seven children and wounded five others by mistake in Niger on Sunday.
Confirming the incident is Chaibou Aboubacar, the governor of the Maradi region, who spoke to AFP in an interview, where he revealed that the sad event occurred on Friday.
“There was a mistake with the Nigerian strikes on the border that resulted in victims on our territory in the village of Nachade.
Four children died instantly and three others succumbed to their injuries while being transported to the hospital.
According to the governor, “the parents were attending a ceremony and the children were probably playing when the strikes” hit them.
He believes the planes were targeting “armed bandits” in the border areas, but “missed their target” hitting Nachade instead.
Aboubacar said he visited the children’s graves on Saturday as well as the scene of the bombardment.
“The victims are 12 children, seven of them dead and five wounded.”
