Global aid agency Oxfam said on Friday that recent U.S. attacks in Somalia mistakenly targeted nomadic herdsmen and killed 70 people.

In a statement issued in Nairobi, the Britain-based agency said bombs have hit vital water sources as well as large groups of nomads and their animals that had gathered round large fires at night to ward off mosquitoes.

"Further reports have also confirmed that bombings have claimed the lives of 70 people in the Afmadow district. Under international law, there is a duty to distinguish between military and civilian targets," Oxfam said.

"These reports must be taken seriously. These communities are already struggling to survive after a severe drought last year followed by a widespread flooding," said Paul Smith-Lomas, Oxfam's regional director for Horn, East and Central Africa.

Oxfam and its partners warned that the recent escalation in violence is making it extremely difficult for aid agencies to reach people in need.

The aid agency said since late December violence in Somalia has forced an estimated 70,000 people to leave their homes, and has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation.

Last year, Somalia was hit first by a severe drought and then the worst flooding in 50 years, leaving some 400,000 people homeless.

Source: Xinhua