Hundreds feared dead after Nigerian military airstrike on market

More than 200 people are feared dead after Nigerian military jets struck a village market in the country's northeast on Saturday night, according to a local councillor and residents. The airstrike occurred as the military pursued Islamist militants.The incident took place in a village in Yobe, bordering Borno state, a region long plagued by an insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions.Nigeria's Air Force confirmed it had killed Boko Haram militants in the Jilli axis of Borno state, but its statement to Reuters on Sunday made no mention of hitting a market. The Air Force did not respond to subsequent requests for comment.Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, a councillor and traditional head for Fuchimeram ward in Yobe's Geidam district, told Reuters that those injured were being transported to hospitals in Yobe and Borno. There was also a bomb blast at a market in Nigeria last month (AP)"It's a very devastating incident at Jilli Market. As I'm speaking to you, over 200 people have lost their lives from the air strike at the market," he stated in a telephone interview.Three other residents and an official from an international humanitarian agency corroborated the strike and the likely death toll.Ahmed Ali, a 43-year-old resident who sells medical consumables at the market, described being injured in a blast. "I became so scared and attempted to run away, but a friend dragged me and we all lay on the ground," he recounted from hospital.The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) confirmed receiving preliminary reports of an incident at Jilli Market "which reportedly resulted in casualties affecting some marketers" and has activated its emergency response.