NO fewer than 72 people were reportedly killed after a military air strike hit Tumfa market in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Sunday, according to sources who spoke with News Point Nigeria.
A community leader, Garba Ibrahim Mashama, confirmed the incident, stating that some of the victims’ bodies were “blown beyond recognition.”
“The actual death toll is hard to establish at the moment. Everybody, residents and bandits, goes to the market. People are at the mercy of the bandits. There is nothing they can do,” Mashama said.
A local source also told this newspaper that the Tumfa market is controlled by bandits and that some of those killed during the strike were young girls selling millet porridge and tofu at the market.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International claimed that the death toll from the airstrike had risen to more than 100 people.
The organisation added that dozens of injured victims were receiving treatment following the bombardment.
According to Amnesty International, one of the affected villages buried 80 people at once after the incident.
“The authorities must investigate these deadly strikes, and put an end to reckless attacks on civilians,” the organisation said.
“In parts of the north facing conflicts, civilians have borne the brunt of suffering far too often. These horrific deaths must not be overlooked. The devastated survivors and their families deserve truth, justice and reparations.”
Amnesty further stated that military aircraft bombed the weekly market when it was crowded with people and without warning.
“Military aircrafts bombed the weekly market, at a point it was full of people and without warning. The scene was chaotic,” the organisation added.
“There were screams, blood, and bodies all over the ground. Those who survived with injuries were evacuated to general hospitals in Zurmi and Shinkafa, while those severely injured are receiving treatment at Yariman Bakura Specialists Hospital Gusau.”
Sources further disclosed that the Zamfara missile strike occurred on the same day another Nigerian Air Force operation targeting bandits in Niger State allegedly killed 13 civilians.
However speaking to News Point Nigeria, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja dismissed reports of civilian casualties in Zamfara, describing them as untrue.
The military had also denied allegations that innocent civilians were killed during the airstrike in Niger State, although it stated that the incident would be investigated.