DHQ denies civilian deaths In Zamfara air strike, says operation targeted terrorists

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has dismissed reports alleging that civilians were killed during a recent military air strike on Tumfa market in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The military insisted that there is no credible evidence supporting claims of civilian casualties from the operation carried out on Sunday.

International news agency, AFP, had reported that at least 72 people were killed in the strike, with local sources claiming that several victims were badly mutilated.

A community leader, Garba Ibrahim Mashema, reportedly told AFP that the casualty figure could be higher because both residents and armed bandits regularly patronise the market.

“The actual death toll is hard to establish at the moment. Everybody, residents and bandits, goes to the market. People are at the mercy of the bandits. There is nothing they can do,” he was quoted as saying.

Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, also alleged that more than 100 people may have died in the strike, adding that many injured victims were receiving treatment in hospitals.

The organisation further claimed that one of the affected communities conducted a mass burial for about 80 victims.

Reacting to the reports, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, through the DHQ spokesman, Brigadier General Michael Onoja, maintained that the operation specifically targeted terrorists.

According to Onoja, the air strike was carried out based on credible intelligence indicating a high-level gathering of terrorist leaders in the area.

“The strike was carried out in line with international humanitarian law and targeted a confirmed high-level gathering of militant leaders in the village, based on multi-sourced intelligence,” he said.

The DHQ spokesman rejected allegations that civilians were affected, stressing that available assessments had not confirmed such claims.

“No credible, substantiated evidence of civilian casualties has been established through any official assessment or independent verification,” Onoja stated.

He added that the security situation and nature of the operation made immediate verification difficult, but noted that preliminary post-strike assessments showed that several terrorists were neutralised during the operation.

“The nature of the operation makes immediate casualty verification difficult; however, post-strike assessments indicate that several terrorists were neutralised,” he added.