Nigerian Air Force Probes Reports Troops Died in Jet Strike

(Bloomberg) -- Nigeria’s air force said it’s investigating allegations that it accidentally killed more than 20 soldiers in an air strike during an operation against an Islamist insurgency.

“Visuals and reports being circulated are currently being investigated,” the Nigerian Air Force said on Twitter on Monday. On Sunday, the Sahara Reporters news website cited a military source as saying a fighter jet on a mission against jihadists in the northeastern Borno state had mistakenly bombed army troops.

Militants from the Boko Haram group and its factions have waged a violent campaign in northeast Nigeria since 2009 to impose their version of Islamic law on Africa’s most populous nation. The conflict has spilled into neighboring Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

The public “will be duly updated on the alleged incident” that took place in Mainok, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) from Maiduguri, Borno’s capital, the air force said. An army spokesman didn’t respond to calls or a text message seeking comment.

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