Unidentified aircraft bombards village near border with Nigeria, hitting mourners at funeral ceremony, as Niger takes part in regional offensive against Boko Haram

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

As many as 30 mourners at a funeral ceremony were killed when an unidentified plane bombarded a village in Niger near the Nigerian border, local officials have said.

The air strike on Tuesday came while Niger is involved in a regional offensive against Boko Haram fighters, who have waged a six-year insurgency that has killed more than 13,000 people.

“The victims were residents attending a mourning ceremony for a prefecture official,” said a humanitarian source, who said that between 20 and 30 people had been killed in the attack near the mosque in Abadam.

It was not clear who carried out the air strike, but Nigeria denied responsibility.

“It’s not to my knowledge and there has not been any report from our people of such an incident,” said Air Commodore Dele Alonge, a spokesman for Nigeria’s air force.

At least one local official, however, blamed Nigeria, putting the death toll at 37.

“At first we thought it was a blunder by Chad or Niger’s army, but now we suspect the Nigerian army is responsible,” said an elected official from Bosso in Niger, which is about six miles from Abadam.

The same source said a similar air strike several days ago on the nearby village of Gamgara killed one person.

Niger has been hit by several bombings blamed on Boko Haram, which is based in Nigeria but has widened its insurgency with attacks on neighbouring countries.

Seven villagers in the far north of Cameroon were killed on Tuesday when they fought back against Boko Haram fighters who stole 70 cows and torched houses in Gaboua.

Nine militants died in clashes against the locals, who were armed with clubs, machetes and bows and arrows.