December 5, 2023

The Defence Headquarters (DHQs) says the air strike by the Nigerian Army at Tudun Birni community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, that left about 85 persons dead and several injured was targeted at terrorists embedded with civilians.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba in a statement on Tuesday.

“The airstrikes were targeted at terrorists”.

According to him, the army’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detachment observed the movement of terrorists at Ligarma, an area notorious for being a haven of insurgents.

“It should be noted that terrorists often deliberately embed themselves within civilian population centres for the civilian population to bear the consequences of their atrocities,” he said in a Tuesday statement.

“Nevertheless, the Nigerian military does its best at all times to distinguish between civilians and terrorists.

“The military views every civilian death in the cause of operations as a tragedy as such tragedies are needless and unwanted, which causes the armed forces to take extensive measures to avoid them.

“For instance, communities are to always alert troops of their activities particularly when such a community is known to be infested with terrorists and their sympathisers.

“These instructions are intended at enabling the military to distinguish between friendly and untoward activities.”