A military airstrike in Yauni, Zakka ward of Safana Local Government Area in Katsina State, has claimed the lives of seven civilians, including six members of the same family.
The attack, reportedly carried out by a military fighter jet, followed an earlier clash between security forces and armed bandits attempting to disrupt a local government election in the area.
According to sources, security personnel had engaged the bandits in a gun battle to prevent an attack on voters in Zakka village.
During the confrontation, two police officers and an operative of the Community Watch Corps (CWC) lost their lives, while another officer later succumbed to injuries.
In the aftermath of the firefight, a military jet—likely deployed as reinforcement—dropped a bomb on Yauni community, resulting in civilian casualties. A woman also sustained injuries in the strike.
This incident adds to previous accidental airstrikes in Katsina. In July 2022, a similar military operation in Kunkunni village, also in Safana LGA, led to the deaths of at least two people.
