52 killed in Nigeria airstrike on refugee camp

At least 52 people lost their lives and 120 others injured in a bombing by the Nigerian Air Force on a camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the northeast city of Rann in Borno State.

In a statement made available to Xinhua, Medicine San Frontiers,(MSF), one of the humanitarian aid group said this large-scale attack on vulnerable people who have already fled extreme violence is shocking and unacceptable.

The statement quoted Jean-Clement Cabrol, MSF Director of Operations as saying that the safety of civilians must be respected.

"We are urgently calling on all parties to ensure the facilitation of medical evacuations by air or road for survivors who are in need of emergency care," he added.

The statement said the organization's medical teams are currently providing first aid to wounded patients in its facility in Rann, adding that other MSF medical and surgical teams in the region are also preparing to treat evacuated patients.

In the same vein, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has described as unfortunate and highly regrettable the accidental bombing of an IDPs camp in Rann, Borno state on Tuesday.

Spokesperson for the Airforce Ayodele Famuyiwa said the NAF is saddened by the accidental air strike by its fighter jet at Rann in Kala Balge area of Borno State in which some innocent lives were lost.

Meanwhile, the Borno government has ordered all hospitals and health agency to standby to provide emergency medical response to victims of Rann attack by Nigeria's Air Force jet.

The army's fighter jet had misfired during an operation in Kala Balge, killing civilians and humanitarian aid workers. Endit