The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has stated that casualty figures being circulated following the recent military airstrike in Zamfara State have not been officially verified.
According to the military, the operation carried out by troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA on May 10 targeted a gathering of suspected terrorist leaders at Tumfa Village in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The DHQ maintained that the strike was based on credible intelligence reports concerning planned attacks in the North West region.
In a statement issued by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, the military dismissed reports alleging confirmed civilian deaths, describing many of the casualty figures circulating online and in some media reports as speculative and unverified.
The Defence Headquarters explained that the operation was an air interdiction mission, making it difficult to immediately determine precise casualty numbers on the ground. It added that post strike Battle Damage Assessments indicated that several terrorists were neutralised during the operation.
The military also rejected claims that civilians were deliberately targeted, insisting that Nigerian armed forces conduct operations under strict rules of engagement and international humanitarian law aimed at minimizing civilian harm.
However, Amnesty International alleged that dozens of civilians may have been killed during the strike on a crowded market in the area, with Reuters reporting claims that the death toll could be as high as 100.
The DHQ urged members of the public and the media to rely on verified information from official military channels while ongoing assessments and clearance operations continue in the affected area.
