Nigeria has confirmed that a military strike killed civilians in the northwestern state of Kaduna on Sunday.

Scores of people died in the attack at Tudun Biri village, with the military saying it had targeted "terrorists."

Kaduna State's interior ministry commissioner Samuel Aruwan said an investigation has indicated that the civilians were killed in an "unfortunate and unintended" attack.

Aruwan said the military has "explained the circumstances" which led to the incident.

Air Force had denied responsibility

According to an army commander, VU Okoro, the soldiers were on "a routine mission against terrorists" but accidentally killed civilian members of the community.

The Nigerian Air Force had earlier denied responsibility over the Sunday strike.

Though the official death toll has not been revealed, Nigerian media report that at least 30 people died in the "unintended" attack.

The state-owned Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) reported on Monday that "search and rescue efforts" were ongoing, and that dozens of the injured victims were taken to the nearby Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital.

Air strikes

The Nigerian military has been targeting suspected insurgents in the northern part of the country in its efforts to rein in insecurity.

On November 24, an Air Force strike in Borno State killed at least 100 suspected militants in Tagoshe and Mandara Mountains areas.

On November 1 and 2, the soldiers killed "several terrorists" in Katsina and Borno states.

Insecurity in the restive north has persisted for years, resulting in the deaths of thousands and the displacement of even a higher number of people.

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