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NAF says it is investigating story alleging it men killed 20 soldiers

Nigerian Air Force on Monday said it has commenced investigating a report that its officials killed 20 Nigerian Army personnel by accident in an airstrike at Mainok, Borno State. “The attention of the @NigAirForce has been drawn to reports alleging “How NAF Killed over 20 Nigerian Army Personnel by Accident in Air Strike,” at Mainok…

Nigerian Air Force on Monday said it has commenced investigating a report that its officials killed 20 Nigerian Army personnel by accident in an airstrike at Mainok, Borno State.

“The attention of the @NigAirForce has been drawn to reports alleging “How NAF Killed over 20 Nigerian Army Personnel by Accident in Air Strike,” at Mainok which is about 55klm to Maiduguri,” NAF tweeted on Monday.

”The NAF wishes to state that visuals and reports being circulated are being investigated and the general public will be duly updated on the alleged incident,” it added.

The report by an online platform said over 20 army personnel were attacked by an Air Force coordinated airstrike in Mainok, Maiduguri after they were mistaken for Boko Haram terrorists.

The troops were said to have been reinforced from Ngandu village to Mainok, which was under attack by militants from the Islamic State-backed faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Reuters reported that the militants killed more than 30 soldiers before pulling back in the face of airstrikes.

They hit the base in Mainok town in northeast Borno state on Sunday afternoon, three soldiers and a local resident told Reuters.

Rising insecurity across Nigeria has killed scores of soldiers and civilians this year. Just over a month ago, about 30 soldiers were killed in four attacks by Islamist militants in northeast Nigeria.

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