Red Cross says at least 76 killed by mistaken air strike on Nigeria refugee camp
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 18 January 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Red Cross says at least 76 killed by mistaken air strike on Nigeria refugee camp, 18 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a46711.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 18, 2017
The casualty toll announced by the ICRC on January 18 was higher than initial reports after the air strike on a refugee camp in NIgeria
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) says at least 76 people were killed when an air strike by a Nigerian Air Force plane struck a refugee camp on January 17.
The casualty toll announced by the ICRC on January 18 was at least 24 deaths higher than initial reports after the air strike.
Nigeria's military said the air strike at Rann in Nigeria's Borno state was a mistake and that the civilians were accidentally killed.
It said the air strike was meant to target the Boko Haram Islamic extremist group, which has been battling government forces in Borno for seven years in an attempt to create an Islamic caliphate in northeastern Nigeria.
The ICRC said six Nigerian Red Cross workers were among those killed and that 13 of its staff were among at least 113 people wounded.
Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
