The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said there is no “credible” or “substantiated” evidence of civilian casualties following an air strike on Tumfa market in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The military’s position contrasts with earlier reports by Agence France-Presse (AFP), which claimed that at least 72 people were killed after Sunday’s missile strike. AFP, quoting a community leader, reported that some victims’ bodies were severely mutilated, making identification difficult.
Similarly, Amnesty International alleged that the death toll had exceeded 100, with dozens injured and receiving treatment. The organisation also claimed that one affected village buried about 80 victims in a mass funeral.
However, Michael Onoja, spokesperson for the DHQ, dismissed the reports, maintaining that the operation strictly targeted a confirmed gathering of militant leaders based on multi-source intelligence.
Onoja stated that the strike was conducted in compliance with international humanitarian law, adding that post-strike assessments indicated that several terrorists were neutralised.
He noted that the nature of such operations makes immediate casualty verification challenging but reiterated that no verified evidence has emerged to support claims of civilian deaths.
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