The Armed Forces of
Nigeria (AFN) has denied killing civilians in an airstrike carried out by the
Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole at Shokotoko village, in Damboa Local
Government Area of Borno State, on Thursday April 9.
It was reported
earlier today that 13 civilians including children were killed in the airstrike
conducted in the Borno village.
Coordinator Defence
Media Operation, Major General John Enenche however debunked the claim in a
statement. He stated that the attack helicopter that executed the mission, was
accompanied by an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft to
ensure proper targeting for avoidance of collateral damage.
Enenche said;
“The attention of
the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) has been drawn to some media reports
indicating that airstrikes conducted by the Air Task Force of Operation LAFIYA
DOLE at Shokotoko Village in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State on
Thursday, 9 April 2020, inadvertently led to the deaths of some civilians. For
the avoidance of doubts, the AFN wishes to clarify the facts as given below.
“The operation,
which was conducted on the night of 9 April and early hours of 10 April 2020,
was based on credible intelligence reports, obtained from land forces and other
security agencies as well as reliable, vetted informants, which confirmed that
the target location was occupied solely by Boko Haram Terrorists.
“Moreover, as
customary, the attack helicopter that executed the mission was accompanied by
an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft to ensure
proper targeting for avoidance of collateral damage. Besides, it must be noted
that, Nigerian Air Force (NAF) pilots, by training and in line with extant
Rules of Engagement (ROEs) for the operation, do not attack any location if it
is observed that non-combatants, especially women and children, are present. In
such cases, the pilots would rather return to Base with their munitions
unexpended. Consequently, on the strength of the foregoing, the location was
considered a legitimate target.
“Nevertheless, to
allay public concerns occasioned by the aforementioned media reports, an
investigation is being carried out and subsequent actions will be taken in line
with extant regulations and best practices, while remaining accountable to the
Nigerian people.
“We wish to reassure
the general public that the AFN, in keeping with its professional
responsibility, will continue to work assiduously to rid the North East of all
terrorist elements with a view to facilitating a return to normalcy that would
enable Nigerians in the area pursue their legitimate aspirations”.
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