…NAF Defends Anti-Terror Operation, Says Airstrike Targeted Terrorists
Residents of Jika da Kolo in Yadin Kidandan, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have alleged that an airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, mistakenly targeted their community, killing over 25 people during a weekend operation against terrorists.
According to the villagers, 23 worshippers in a mosque and others in a nearby market were among the victims of the strike.
One villager, who chose to remain anonymous, said, “The strike disfigured the bodies of most of those affected. We gathered body parts of 23 people who were identified by relatives, including children, and they have been buried.”
“Of course, Yadin Kidandan is a danger zone because it is under the control of bandits. But there are also innocent villagers who still live around there because they have no other place to go just like the casualties that we witnessed on Friday. So, we discovered that when the strike occurred, most of the people at the mosque died.”
Another resident, Malam, added, “We heard when the plane arrived; it dropped something and a moment later, we heard a loud sound because I was in a nearby village.
“Thereafter, family members of the victims went to the scene and recognised their relatives for the funeral. With little investigation, those who threw the bomb should have established that the bandits don’t live within the villages; they are in the bushes. It is a difficult moment for us.”
However, the NAF has refuted these claims.
The Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, stated that the operation was carried out based on credible intelligence that confirmed a significant terrorist presence in the Yadi Forest. He also noted that there was no mosque in the area.
“Intensive intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance confirmed the consistent presence of terrorists and their motorcycles at the location. Additional intelligence revealed that the logistics base belonged to the notorious terrorist kingpin Kadade Gurgu, a close ally of Dogo Gide,” he said.
“Accordingly, the Air Component dispatched an aircraft, supported by an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform, to attack the target. The target area initially appeared uninhabited. However, as the aircraft approached, some of the terrorists were seen emerging from under the shrubbery and running away from the area.
“Subsequently, the targets were engaged, recording successful hits on the logistics facility, which was engulfed in flames with thick black smoke seen. Reports from independent sources, including local informants around the general area, later confirmed that the logistics base was totally destroyed and scores of terrorists were killed as a result of the attack.”
Group Captain Ali further explained that the NAF remains committed to flushing out terrorists in the North-West and North-Central regions.
“The Nigerian Air Force, in collaboration with surface forces, will continue to dominate the battlespace through extensive situational awareness, constant patrols, and targeted interdiction of bandits’ safe havens within its area of responsibility and neighbouring states,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the villagers have called on both the federal and Kaduna State governments to investigate the incident, insisting that many innocent civilians were killed during the operation.
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