The United Nations (UN) on Saturday said Boko Haram fighters killed two civilians including a five-year-old child in an attack on its helicopter in Damasak, Borno State.
It said in a statement that the attack occurred on Thursday in the head town of the Mobbar Local Government Area.
According to the UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, the two fatalities and several others who were injured in the attack were on the ground.
“A UN Humanitarian Air Service helicopter was hit by bullets during the attack. No aid workers were on board at the time and crew members are all safe,” Kallon said.
A UN communication seen by AFP said the aircraft was shot as it approached Damasak and the pilots managed to fly back to regional capital Maiduguri 150 kilometres away.
The memo said the UN was suspending rotational flights for one week “to engage with government partners and conduct new risk assessments”.
Helicopters provide a vital link carrying humanitarian personnel and delivering aid to an estimated 7.8 million people in urgent need of assistance across northeastern part of the country, the AFP says.
The area around Damasak on the border with Niger is dominated by the Islamic State West Africa Province, which broke away from jihadist group Boko Haram in 2016.
