In a continuing series of December tragedies, a military airstrike in Sokoto state‘s Gidan Bisa and Runtuwa communities killed 10 civilians and caused great outrage among the locals.
The incident occurred at 6 a.m. on Wednesday when military jets bombed the areas while chasing bandits in Silame Local Government Area.
Local council chairman Hon. Abubakar Gitta Rana described the airstrike as “erroneous“. He informed that many livestock were also killed in the airstrike.
However, the Joint Task Force (JTF) North West claimed the operation targeted Lakurawa terrorists and denied hitting civilian structures. Lt. Col. Abdullahi Abubakar said the airstrike was justified and warned against spreading misinformation.
But Governor Ahmed Aliyu visited the affected communities with state APC leader Sen. Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and Labour Minister Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi to condole with the victims’ families, confirmed the killing of civilians in the bombardment.
“The jets were on a mission to eliminate criminal groups but mistakenly bombed innocent civilians. This is unfortunate, and a thorough investigation will be conducted to prevent future occurrences,” Aliyu said.
He promised a government donation of ₦20 million and 100 bags of foodstuffs to support the bereaved families. He pledged to cover medical expenses for those injured.
Several mistaken airstrikes that killed innocent civilians have been reported severally in the past. The question is how to ensure the precision of military operations and accountability in counterterrorism efforts in the future.
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