No evidence of civilian casualties in Zamfara market air strike – DHQ

The Nigerian military has refuted claims of civilian casualties following an air strike on Tumfa market in Zurmi Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State, stating that no credible or substantiated evidence of such casualties has been found.

According to AFP, at least 72 people were reported dead after Sunday’s missile strike, with some victims allegedly “blown beyond recognition,” citing a community leader. Garba Ibrahim Mashema, speaking to AFP, described the situation, saying that the death toll remained difficult to determine, as both civilians and bandits frequented the market. He further stated that residents were at the mercy of the bandits, with little they could do to escape.

Amnesty International later reported that the death toll had exceeded 100, with dozens more injured and receiving treatment in hospitals. The organisation also claimed that one of the affected villages had buried 80 people in a single mass grave.

However, Michael Onoja, spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), dismissed the allegations of civilian casualties. In a statement, Onoja emphasised that the strike, which was conducted in compliance with international humanitarian law, had specifically targeted a 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 asserted.

While acknowledging that verifying casualties immediately after the strike was challenging, he added that a post-strike assessment confirmed that “several terrorists were neutralised” in the operation.

The DHQ’s stance counters the claims made by human rights organisations and local sources, which have raised concerns over the impact of the strike on civilians. The incident remains under scrutiny as further investigations continue.