Reports emerge of violence and military airstrikes in Northern Nigeria

On Sunday, Amnesty International reported that the Nigerian Air Force conducted airstrikes on the Tumfa market in the Zurmi area of Zamfara state, allegedly killing at least 100 civilians. Witnesses claimed aircraft circled the market at noon before returning two hours later to bomb the site. Separately, UN security reports indicate that armed bandits ambushed travelers on the Magami-Dansadau road in Zamfara, killing approximately 30 people, while another 12 were killed in the neighboring Katsina state. The Nigerian military acknowledged conducting operations in the Sinkafi region of Zamfara on Sunday, stating they killed many terrorists, though they did not provide specific figures or address the market incident. These events occur against a backdrop of heightened insecurity in northern Nigeria, where banditry and extremist violence have prompted the government to declare a state of emergency. Amnesty International noted that a similar incident involving mass civilian casualties occurred in April on the border of Borno and Yobe states. Currently, accounts from international observers and security reports present differing perspectives on the nature and casualty counts of the weekend violence.