The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has announced that it has commenced investigations into allegations that innocent villagers were k!lled during an airstrike in Katsina State.

The force, however, insisted that its operation only targeted and neutralized bandits who had attacked personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF) and Katsina State Community Watch Corps.

Reports indicate that at least seven civilians were allegedly k!lled in the airstrike that hit Yauni community in Zakka Ward, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Speaking on the incident, NAF spokesperson, Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, stated that the operation at Yauni Hill on Saturday was a "successful airstrike" that eliminated several bandits.

He explained that the air raid was carried out based on intelligence that terrorists were attacking a PMF location in the community, where they had already k!lled two PMF personnel and four vigilantes.

Describing the reports accusing NAF of k!lling civilians as "distressing," Akinboyewa insisted that the force operates professionally and adheres strictly to its standard procedures.

Meanwhile, residents of Zakka District in Safana Local Government Area have called on Governor Dikko Umaru Radda to intervene following the military airstrike, which they claim mistakenly k!lled six members of a single family.

Speaking on behalf of the community, the Zakka Transformation Forum expressed deep concerns over worsening insecurity in the district, revealing that over 250 people have been killed and more than 600 abducted in the past 15 months.

The forum also highlighted the impact of insecurity on education, stating that only six out of the district’s 56 public primary schools remain functional, while the remaining 50 have been taken over by bandits.