Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
Defence Headquarters (DHQ), yesterday, said precision bombing killed 103 armed bandits in Zamfara State and several terrorists in the North-east in the past three weeks.
Defending the offensives on parts of Zamfara, where he claimed the bombardment of terrorist elements was precise, it said an investigation into possible collateral damage during the bombing campaign in Zamfara had commenced, adding that the probe will “ascertain the level of collateral damage.”
The position came amid concerns over allegation that dozens of civilians were casualties of last Sunday’s military air strikes on the terrorists operating in Mutumji community in Maru Local Government the Area of Zamfara State.
The military also said troops arrested 40 terrorists while 30 kidnap victims were rescued within the period under review.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj Gen Jimmy Akpor, said the, “military does not attack soft target. It is not part of military training to attack those it has obligation to protect and defend.”
Akpor, who was also responding to a question on reports claiming that soldiers in military uniforms attacked and killed scores of innocent civilians in Eha-Amufu, a community in Isi Uzo Local Government Area of Enugu State, early in December, said the report was not true.
The alleged killer soldiers reportedly invaded the community shooting and maiming the residents and left in the wake, 16 people including women and children killed, several injured, while hundreds of survivors fled the community.
Akpor assured that the military would fish out the perpetrators and used the occasion to assure them that adequate security measures would be taken across the country during the Yuletide and New Year celebrations.
“We are not going on break or holidays”, he said.
In his remarks, Director, Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj Gen Musa Danmadami, said 280 repentant terrorists and their families comprising 29 males, 73 females and 148 children surrendered to the military at various theatres of operation in the region.
Danmadami said the military operations were conducted from December 1-22.
He said within the period under review, soldiers on internal security operations in the the Niger Delta region destroyed 57 illegal refineries refining sites, 953 cooking ovens, 68 wooden boats, 172 storage tanks and 149 dugout pits.
He said the soldiers from operation Delta Safe recovered 445,000 litres of crude oil, 1,043,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) or diesel, 22,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), 2,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine and one AK47 rifle.
Others include eight tankers, 63 vehicles, two speed boats, one thug boat, 14 motorcycles, one tricycle, three bicycles, 11 pumping machines and three outboard engines, and arrested 21 oil thieves and pipeline vandals.
Danmadami said the efforts of troops denied the vandals of stealing crude oil worth over N700 million.
