Togo army says it was behind blast that killed several civilians

Togo’s army says it is responsible for a blast that killed seven civilians and injured two more, after mistaking them for jihadists.

The explosion happened Saturday near the border with Burkina Faso, where militants linked to the Islamic state group and al-qaeda have been wreaking havoc.

In a statement, Togo’s armed forces chief of staff general Dadja Maganawe said an aircraft had wrongly targeted the civilians in the village of Margba.

Maganawe condoled the families of those affected, adding that the army is doing everything possible to avert future attacks of such nature.

The army said it had opened an investigation to determine the circumstances of this explosion and identify the perpetrators.