A statement released by the Director of Defense Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said that the attack was executed following the observation of group movements through aerial surveillance that were indicative of prior terrorist tactics and methods.

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According to Buba, the threat was removed to stop the terrorists from terrorising defenceless bystanders.

“On 3 Dec 2023, at about 2200hrs and based on untoward activities by terrorists, the NA UAV detachment observed movement of terrorists at Ligarma, a terrorist-infested area of Kaduna State. Aerial surveillance captured movement of groups of persons synonymous with the terrorist tactics and modus operandi.

“The observed advance of the terrorists that were gathered posted a threat to key infrastructure within reach of the untoward activities. Accordingly, the threat was eliminated to prevent the terrorist from unleashing terror on innocent civilians.

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“It should be noted that terrorists often deliberately embed themselves within civilian population centres in order for civilian population to bear the consequences of their atrocities. Nevertheless, the Nigerian military does its best at all times to distinguish between civilians and terrorists,” Buba said.

While the DHQ acknowledges that the military views every civilian death in the cause of operations as a tragedy, it claims that instructions for communities to always alert troops of their activities particularly when such a community is known to be infested with terrorists and their sympathisers were not carried out.

The statement read, “One such measure taken by the military is to continually give precise instructions to communities. For instance, communities are to always alert troops of their activities particularly when such a community is known to be infested with terrorists and their sympathisers. These instructions are intended at enabling the military distinguish between friendly and untoward activities.”

The DHQ then said that the military forces will carry out their usual operations in accordance with international law, as well as keep moving cautiously and resolutely toward driving out terrorists from the country.

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