The Defence Headquarters has dismissed reports claiming civilians were killed during a military airstrike on Tumfa market in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara, insisting there is no verified evidence of civilian casualties from the operation.
Amnesty International had also claimed that the death toll exceeded 100, adding that several injured victims were receiving treatment while one affected village reportedly buried about 80 people at once.
However, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, rejected the claims, maintaining that the strike specifically targeted terrorist elements.
According to him, the operation was carried out based on “multi-sourced intelligence” which confirmed the presence of high-profile militant leaders at the location.
“No credible, substantiated evidence of civilian casualties has been established through any official assessment or independent verification,” Onoja said.
The Defence Headquarters added that the operation was conducted in line with international humanitarian law and operational procedures guiding military engagements.
Onoja admitted that the nature of the strike made immediate casualty verification difficult, but disclosed that preliminary post-strike findings showed that “several terrorists were neutralised” during the operation.
The incident has continued to generate concern amid rising military offensives against armed groups operating across parts of northern Nigeria.