By Harriet Tornguvan -Abuja
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified that the recent airstrike in Sokoto, which resulted in civilian casualties, specifically targeted the Lakurawa terrorist group and its logistics base.
Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, stated this update on Friday, emphasizing that the primary aim of the airstrike was to neutralize terrorist operations in the area.
"The airstrike hit the terrorists’ logistics base, leading to secondary explosions, these explosions caused the casualties reported earlier," General Buba stated.
General Buba noted that intelligence indicated heightened terrorist activities in the area prior to the December 25, 2024, airstrike, sustained intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions were conducted over an extended period to verify the presence of the Lakurawa terrorists in the region.
He added that the operation, originally planned for an earlier date, was postponed to ensure accuracy and minimize collateral damage. The delay allowed for further intelligence gathering and validation of the terrorists’ presence.
"This operation was meticulously planned as a joint effort, leveraging the air component’s precision strike capability alongside the land component’s deployment of troops on the ground," he added.
"At approximately 6:00 a.m. on the day of the strike, precision-guided munitions were deployed to neutralize the identified terrorist hideouts.
"Ground forces were strategically positioned around the target area to prevent the terrorists from escaping and to conduct post-strike assessments.
He stated that following the airstrike, ground forces confirmed the destruction of the terrorists' hideout and key infrastructure. Survivors among the Lakurawa terrorists fled the area, while others were neutralized.
General Buba stressed that the operation was designed to minimize civilian casualties.
"The terrorists often blend within the local population, making it challenging to differentiate between civilians and combatants, this operation was carefully executed to avoid harm to innocent citizens," he said.
He reiterated that troops targeted only terrorists, not civilians, and emphasized the importance of human and technical intelligence in confirming the terrorist presence before the strike.
The Defence Headquarters maintained that the operation successfully neutralized the Lakurawa terrorist group while minimizing harm to the local population, despite the unintended consequences of secondary explosions.
