Survivors and observers are questioning the Nigerian military’s decision to carry out a deadly airstrike on a crowded market in the country’s north-east, where as many as 200 people were killed, many of them civilians.
The attack hit Jilli market on Saturday, on the border between Borno and Yobe states. The military described the operation as a “precision airstrike,” but the scale of the deaths has raised fresh concern over the risks civilians face in air operations linked to the fight against jihadist groups.
The market was busy when it was struck, according to the report, and the number of people killed has placed the incident among the deadliest recent air attacks carried out by Nigeria’s air force. Survivors and witnesses have asked why such a populated place was targeted in an effort to hit militants.
The airstrike is the latest in a string of Nigerian military actions over the past decade that have resulted in significant civilian casualties. Those previous incidents have repeatedly drawn criticism over intelligence failures, identification errors and the danger of striking locations where civilians are present.
In this case, the military said it was acting against a jihadist group, but the high reported death toll has intensified scrutiny of the operation. The destruction at Jilli market has also renewed debate over how the armed forces conduct air campaigns in the north-east, where civilians often live, trade and travel near areas of insurgent activity.
The incident comes at a time when air power remains a central part of Nigeria’s security response in the region. But for survivors and local observers, the key question is whether the operation was justified, and whether the military took sufficient steps to avoid a large-scale loss of civilian life.
As more details emerge, the strike is likely to add to pressure on the Nigerian military to explain how the attack was planned and why a crowded market became the site of one of the deadliest recent bombings in the country’s conflict zone.
