Civilians are feared to have died after reports that Nigerian military jets struck a village industry in the north-east of the country.

The attack took place near the border between Yobe and Borno states while an aircraft was noted to be engaged in an operation against Islamist militants in the area, according to the Reuters news agency and local reports.

The Nigerian Air Force commented it carried out “mop-up” air strikes on “identified terrorist locations” within the Jilli axis of Borno State on Saturday, but has not confirmed that it struck the marketplace nor confirmed casualties.

The area is at the centre of the long-running Boko Haram insurgency, which has forced more than two million humans to flee their homes and killed thousands.

The Nigerian Air Force’s statement mentioned follow-on strikes on Saturday were “aimed at fleeing remnants and regrouping cells seeking to exploit the difficult terrain”.

There are conflicting reports of the number of casualties Because of the strike on the economy.

Citing a councillor, Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, in Yobe’s Geidam district, as well as three residents and an official from an international humanitarian agency, news agency Reuters stated at least 200 humans had been killed.

“It’s a very devastating incident,” commented Zanna Nur Geidam, who remarked the injured had been taken to hospitals in Yobe and Borno.

Nigerian outlets the Sun and Punch reported sources saying that 10 humans had been killed, while “several” others had sustained injuries.

But newspaper the Daily Trust reported that an eyewitness stated at least 56 the public had died, with 14 others hospitalised.

the weekly marketplace usually attracts traders and buyers from surrounding communities.

In a statement on Facebook on Sunday, the Yobe State Emergency Management Agency mentioned it had received “preliminary reports” of an incident at Jilli Sector in the Gubio local government area, “which reportedly resulted in casualties affecting some marketers”. This also touches on aspects of geopolitics.

It added that emergency response mechanisms had been “immediately evacuated”, with assessment teams deployed to the area, but added that “details regarding the nature of the incident and the number of casualties remain unverified”.

The government of the neighbouring Yobe state stated some of its residents who went to the marketplace “were affected”.

“Some citizens from Geidam LGA , according to the outlet[local government area] bordering Gubio LGA in Borno state who went to the Jilli weekly economy were affected,” Brigadier General Dahiru Abdulsalam noted on Facebook.

Ahmed Ali, a 43-year-old economy trader, told Reuters he was injured in the blast.

“I became so scared and attempted to run away, but a friend dragged me and we all lay on the ground,” he remarked.

Amnesty International’s Nigeria branch condemned the strike, which it remarked had killed “over 100 people”.

“Launching air raids is not a legitimate law enforcement method by anyone’s standard,” a post on X remarked.

“Such reckless utilize of deadly force is unlawful, outrageous and lays bare the Nigerian military’s shocking disregard for the lives of those it supposedly exists to protect.”

Nigeria’s north‑east has seen repeated incidents in recent years in which military air operations against Islamist insurgents have mistakenly hit civilians, including in villages, camps for displaced individuals and markets.

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