Nigeria’s protection headquarters on Monday denied experiences of civilian deaths in airstrikes in opposition to suspected bandits in northern Niger state, saying the strikes had been intelligence-led and hit solely militant targets.
Protection spokesperson Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja stated the in a single day drone strikes on Might 9-10 focused the villages of Katerma, Bokko, Kusas and Kuduru in Shiroro district after intelligence indicated that armed teams recognized regionally as bandits had been gathering to plan assaults.
The denial was in response to experiences in Nigerian media claiming civilian casualties, confirming long-standing issues in regards to the affect of airstrikes in Nigeria’s battle zones on native communities.
Nigerian safety forces are battling bandits within the northwest and a 17-year-old Islamist insurgency within the northeast.
Final month, army planes raided a village market whereas chasing Islamic extremists within the northeast, killing about 200 individuals, locals advised Reuters.
Onoja stated at the very least 70 suspected bandits had been killed in Kusas alone in latest airstrikes. He added that info after the airstrike confirmed that the surviving fighters had regrouped and greater than 200 motorbikes had been shifting in direction of the close by village of Zango.
“The assault exactly focused recognized terrorist settlements and achieved its meant army goal,” Onoja stated, including that residents had been relocated to different villages beforehand and the opportunity of civilian presence was restricted.
He didn’t say whether or not civilians had been given warning of the strike.
Onoja stated the army had ordered discipline troops to research allegations of hurt to civilians.
