Over 20 fishermen feared dead after suspected military airstrike hits Borno community
Over 20 fishermen have died from a supposed airstrike in Dabar Masara, a border town in Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State.
It was gathered that the airstrike occurred on Sunday afternoon when a jet flew over the general area and dropped bombardments in three different locations all within Dabar Masara.
The civilians, mostly farmers, were either on their farms or at the river bank when the tragic event happened.
Although military authorities were yet to respond to the incident at the time of filing this report, local sources confirmed the airstrike to newsmen on Tuesday.
“In one of the locations attacked, we were told that 10 persons were evacuated and buried that same day,” A source said.
“Maybe they mistook them for Boko Haram for which I won’t blame them, but those were our relatives and they were only out looking for their daily bread because even if they stay at home nobody will give them food.”
Dabar Masara is a farming and fishing community located on the Nigerian side of the Lake Chad region in Monguno local government of Borno State.
The area is said to be a bastion for ISWAP and Boko Haram, it was also alleged that the insurgents recently lifted a ban on fishermen in its territory, allowing them to move in and fish in the freshwater lake for a fee. That led to an influx of fishermen who had abandoned the area.
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A local fisherman, Labo Sani told AFP by telephone that the jet strike hit Kwatar Daban Masara at around 6 am (0500 GMT), killing around 20 fishermen.
Sani said Kwatar Daban Masara which is on the shores of the lake, is the “gateway to ISWAP’s camps on several islands” and a supply route for the jihadists.
This is, however, not the first time an accidental airstrike by the military will take place in the northeast where the nation has been battling the decade-long insurgency war.
Two weeks ago, more than 10 villagers were killed in a similar airstrike during a pursuit of Boko Haram insurgents in neighbouring Yobe State.
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