The United Nations human rights chief has called for independent investigations into reports that separate air attacks by Nigerian and Chadian forces in northern Nigeria killed more than 100 civilians.

Nigeria's military has been battling 'bandits' in the northwest, often labeling them as 'terrorists'. It has also been fighting an armed rebellion in the northeast for 17 years.

According to Amnesty International, at least 100 civilians were killed on Sunday in one of the bloodiest days in the state's conflict against armed groups. Citing witnesses, Amnesty said many of the victims were women and children, and urged authorities to investigate the attack on a crowded market in Tumfa village.

'I am shocked by reports that Nigerian army airstrikes on a market in Zamfara state killed at least 100 civilians on 10 May and injured many more,' said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. He also expressed alarm over reports of high civilian casualties from Chadian jet attacks on Boko Haram camps on remote islands.

Footage verified by AFP showed several fishermen with severe burns being treated at a hospital in Bosso, Niger. Turk urged both Nigerian and Chadian authorities to conduct 'prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations' and to 'take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians'.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian military denied evidence of civilian casualties in the Zamfara attacks, calling reports of large death tolls unverified and misleading. Defence spokesman Major-General Michael Onoja claimed the strike targeted a 'confirmed high-level gathering' of terrorists and was conducted under international humanitarian law.

Source: www.aljazeera.com