A military airstrike has reportedly claimed the lives of seven civilians in Yauni community, Zakka ward, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The incident occurred after security forces engaged bandits in a gun battle on Saturday, during the local government elections. Two police officers and an operative of the state-owned Community Watch Corps (CWC) were killed in the exchange, while another officer later died from injuries.
A resident, who spoke anonymously, said security agents had moved to prevent an attack by bandits targeting voters in Zakka village. Following the clash, a military jet—likely deployed for reinforcement—dropped a bomb on Yauni, killing six members of a family and injuring a woman.
This is not the first time Katsina residents have suffered from accidental airstrikes. In July 2022, at least two people were killed when a military jet dropped a bomb in Kunkunni village, also in Safana LGA.
Efforts to obtain comments from security agencies regarding the latest incident have so far been unsuccessful.
