Defence Headquarters have named those killed in Sokoto Air Strikes.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that following the Christmas Day airstrikes on Lakurawa terrorist dens at Gidan Bisa and Gidan Runtuwa in Silame LGA of Sokoto State, the Defence Headquarters has declared that ground forces interacted with locals in the area who confirmed the presence of Lakurawa terrorists in the general area.
“The airstrike on the terrorist arms cache and logistics dump also led to secondary explosions, causing munitions to detonate in different directions, resulting in 10 deaths.
“Ground forces confirmed that the hideout was successfully neutralized, with minimal damage observed in the surrounding village.”
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Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, stated, “Locals of the area confirmed that Lakurawa terrorists stayed in the village and used the general area as a staging ground for their operations.”
He added, “Efforts are ongoing to determine whether or not they were terrorist collaborators.”
Major General Buba emphasized, *”The Armed Forces of Nigeria has a duty to defend citizens from terrorists, either through peaceful means or by force of arms.”
“It is in discharge of this responsibility that on December 25, 2024, a coordinated joint operation was conducted between the Air Component and the Land Component of Operation Fansan Yamma to destroy Lakurawa Terrorist Group (LTG) hideouts at Gidan Bisa and Gidan Runtuwa in Jirikon Forest, Silame LGA of Sokoto State.”
Prior to the operation, heightened terrorist activities were observed in the area.
The military conducted sustained Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over extended periods to confirm that those present in the area were Lakurawa terrorists.
Significantly, the operation was rescheduled from an earlier date to December 25, 2024, to allow further confirmation through Human Intelligence (HUMINT).
The joint operation combined the Air Component’s precision strike capabilities with the Land Component’s boots on the ground.
Pre-operation ISR missions confirmed significant terrorist activity within the general area. HUMINT reports corroborated the ISR findings, emphasizing the strategic importance of neutralizing the location.
At approximately 0600hrs, aircraft conducted a precision airstrike on the identified hideouts using precision-guided munitions to minimize collateral damage.
The Land Component deployed blocking positions around the target location to prevent the escape of Lakurawa terrorists and provided immediate post-strike assessment and follow-up actions.
Following the airstrike, ground forces assessed the impact and confirmed the hideout was successfully neutralized, with minimal damage to the surrounding village.
Locals in the area confirmed the presence of Lakurawa terrorists, who had been using the village as a staging area.
The destruction of key terrorist infrastructure, including arms caches and logistics dumps, validated the strike’s effectiveness.
The airstrike caused secondary explosions, leading to the detonation of stored munitions in different directions, resulting in 10 deaths.
Efforts are ongoing to determine whether the casualties were terrorist collaborators.
ISR and HUMINT reports prior to the operation consistently indicated that the hideout was a high-concentration terrorist location.
Overall, troops will continue to take painstaking measures to avoid civilian casualties.
“All civilian casualties are viewed as a needless tragedy. Nevertheless, we will not relent in targeting and dislodging terrorists across our nation.”
