The Nigerian military has dismissed reports alleging that an airstrike killed over 100 people in Zamfara State, insisting that there is “no credible evidence” to support the claim.………
Reports emerged on Tuesday, May 12, that about 100 people were killed by military airstrike on the community, as part of efforts to stamp out insurgents in Nigeria.
Amnesty International said that many of the victims were women and girls trading at the market.
The organisation also claimed that one of the affected villages buried 80 people at once.
Dozens of injured persons were taken to hospitals in Zurmi and Shinkafi, while others were referred to Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau, Amnesty International said.
However, Michael Onoja, spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, dismissed claims that civilians were affected by the operation.
He said 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.
“No credible, substantiated evidence of civilian casualties has been established through any official assessment or independent verification,” Onoja said.
He added that the nature of the operation made immediate casualty verification difficult, but noted that a post-strike assessment indicated that “several terrorists were neutralised”.
