MON MAY 11 2026-theGBJournal| The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) Nigeria on Monday clarified reports alleging civilian casualties during the recent aerial interdiction operation conducted in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, maintaining that the strikes were directed strictly at confirmed terrorist enclaves and executed on the basis of credible intelligence.
The operation forms part of the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism and counter-banditry campaign aimed at dismantling criminal networks threatening civilian populations and critical national infrastructure across the country.
According to the DHQ, operational intelligence obtained on 9 May 2026, confirmed that armed bandit groups had converged at multiple locations within Shiroro LGA, including Lukupe, Katerma, Bokko, Kusasu, and Kuduru villages, with indications that coordinated attacks were being planned against nearby communities and security formations.
Acting on this intelligence, the Nigerian Army UAV Command carried out a series of precision air interdiction strikes in the early hours of 10 May 2026, targeting identified terrorist concentrations and movement corridors.
DHQ said preliminary battle damage assessments and reports from local sources confirmed that the strikes achieved significant operational success, particularly in Kusasu, where approximately seventy armed bandits were reportedly neutralized.
Subsequent intelligence surveillance also revealed the movement of surviving armed elements, including over 200 motorcycles transporting fleeing fighters towards Zango, while other groups were observed regrouping around Kopa, east of Mongoro, in what appeared to be attempts to either reorganize or launch attacks on government and security infrastructure in surrounding areas.
”These developments underscored the urgency and necessity of the operation, which was undertaken to pre-empt imminent threats to civilian lives and national security,” the DHQ said.
”It is particularly instructive that, well ahead of the aerial interdiction, all local civilian communities within the general area had, out of an abundance of caution, voluntarily relocated to Sarkin Pawa for their safety.
This fact alone fundamentally undermines the claim that innocent residents were present in the strike zones at the time of the operation.”
Post-strike intelligence assessments and verified reports from local sources further confirmed that the aerial interdiction was precise on target, with terrorists subsequently observed gathering the remains of their fallen colleagues for burial, while others, numbering over 200 and mounted on motorcycles, were sighted retreating in the direction of Zango.
These are not the movements of a civilian population; they are the signature of a degraded but still mobile criminal force. Nonetheless, relevant military formations have been directed to verify the allegations of civilian casualties, if any.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria said it remains fully committed to the protection of all law-abiding citizens and conducts all operations in strict accordance with the rules of engagement and applicable laws.
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