The Defence Headquarters says the drone attack on Ligarma community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Sunday was based on information about the untoward activities of terrorists in the area.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Buba said the Nigerian Army Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) detachment had at about 2200hrs on Sunday, observed the movement of terrorists at Ligarma, known to be a terrorist-infested area of Kaduna State.
He said the aerial surveillance captured the movement of groups of people synonymous with terrorist tactics and modus operandi.
Buba explained that the observed advance of the terrorists that were gathered posed a threat to key infrastructure within reach of their activities.
According to him, the threat was eliminated to prevent terrorists from unleashing terror on innocent civilians.
“It should be noted that terrorists often deliberately embed themselves within civilian population centres 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.
“The military views every civilian death in the cause of operations as a tragedy, as such tragedies are needless and unwanted, which causes the armed forces to take extensive measures to avoid them,” he said.
According to him, 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,” he said.
Buba said the armed forces would continue to operate in line with international laws and would also continue their determined and cautious progress in eradicating terrorists from the land.
He said the terrorists often disguised themselves as civilians to perpetrate terror as part of their tactics, adding that the military would continue to find innovative solutions to the challenges faced in the conduct of its operations. (NAN)
