Airstrike kills 37 in Niger.

Reports from Nigerien officials claim that 37 people have been killed and 20 injured in an airstrike in Southern Niger.

It is believed that a burial was in session in Abadam village which lies on the border with Nigeria when an unidentified plane started dropping bombs on the area.

This incident came as the Nigerian army said more than 300 militants were killed in nearby north-east Nigeria during operations targeting Boko Haram.

A military official claims that an air strike hit a mosque in the village of Abadam.

The deputy mayor of Abadam, Ibrahim Ari, asserted that a plane had dropped three bombs. One struck a group of mourners sitting in front of the residence of a local chief.

There is a belief that the airstrikes were carried out believing those were Boko Haram members however, Nigeria has denied responsibility.

“It’s not to my knowledge and there has not been any report from our people of such an incident,” said Dele Alonge, a spokesman for Nigeria’s air force.

Nigerian forces have been accused of overstating enemy casualties in the past.

But the two-day operation against militants in Borno State had inflicted “massive casualties”, Mr Olukolade said.