Nigerian refugees mistakenly targeted

This item appears on page 16 of the March 2017 issue.

The Nigerian air force mistakenly attacked a camp housing refugees and aid workers in the northern Nigerian state of Borno on Jan. 18, killing at least 115 people. The site was targeted after receiving information that a Boko Haram training camp was operating in the area. Boko Haram is an Islamist militant group that has been engaging in an insurgency in northern Nigeria since 2009.

On Jan. 23 in the northeastern Nigerian city of Madagali, two Boko Haram female suicide bombers detonated their bombs at a security checkpoint, killing six people, including two babies that Nigerian officials believe the women were carrying to allay suspicion. Madagali was one of the largest cities under Boko Haram control until it was retaken by Nigerian forces in 2015.