The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has attributed the death of 10 villagers in Silame Local Government Area of Sokoto State to a secondary explosion caused by a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike targeting Lakurawa terroristshideouts, not direct bombardment.Addressing journalists on Friday, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, explained that the precision-guided airstrike on December 25 was aimed at terrorist dens in Gidan Bisa and Gidan Runtuwa.The operation, he noted, was part of a coordinated effort between the air and land components of Operation Fansan Yamma.”The Armed Forces of Nigeria has a duty to defend citizens from terrorists either through peaceful means or the force of arms,” Buba stated.”It is in discharge of this responsibility that on 25 Dec 2024, a coordinated joint operation was conducted to destroy Lakurawa terrorists group hideouts in Silame LGA of Sokoto State.”He explained that prior intelligence, including sustained surveillance and human intelligence (HUMINT), confirmed heightened terrorist activities in the area, necessitating the operation.The airstrike targeted terrorist infrastructure, including a logistics base housing explosives and other dangerous materials, which triggered the secondary blast that caused civilian casualties.”Following the airstrike, ground forces confirmed that the hideout was successfully neutralised, with minimal damage observed in the surrounding village,” Buba said.”The destruction of key infrastructure, including arms caches and logistics dumps, confirmed the strikes effectiveness.”He emphasised that the military takes extensive measures to minimise civilian casualties during operations, describing the deaths as a tragic but unintended outcome.”All civilian casualties are viewed as a needless tragedy. Nevertheless, we will not relent in targeting and dislodging terrorists across our nation,” he added.The Defence Headquarters reassured the public of its commitment to protecting citizens and eliminating terrorist threats across Nigeria.
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