The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Friday described the recent airstrikes that resulted in the death of many in Sokoto State as ‘secondary explosions’.
The government of Sokoto State had earlier claimed that ten villagers were killed and others injured after airstrikes in the Silame Local Government Area of the state.
However, in a statement issued on Friday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said the deaths and injuries were due to secondary explosions and not a direct result of the airstrikes.
Earlier on Thursday, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, insisted that the military only bombed terrorists and criminals in Sokoto State.
General Musa, who spoke when he visited Sokoto State amidst the controversy surrounding an airstrike targeted against Lakurawa terrorists, submitted that those targeted were terrorists and anyone found with them during the airstrike was an accomplice.
Naija News recalls a fighter jet bombed two communities in the Silame Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday, killing at least 10 civilians and injuring several others.
The Sokoto State government claimed that some of those killed in the strikes were “innocent villagers”, while the military insisted that the strike was against criminals.
The CDS, while briefing newsmen at the Giginya Cantonment Sokoto during his visit on Thursday, also insisted the military airstrike was targeted at terrorists but added, however, that an investigation would be launched into the matter.
He submitted that the criminals were only trying to twist the narrative in the media to favour them.