The Nigerian military has acknowledged that an airstrike targeting a suspected Lakurawa group hideout in Sokoto state inadvertently caused the deaths of 10 civilians. Army spokesperson Edward Buba confirmed on Friday that the fatalities were due to secondary explosions triggered during the operation.
The airstrike, which occurred near the villages of Gidan Bisa and Gidan Runtuwa, was intended to dismantle the activities of the Lakurawa group, a newly emerging insurgent faction infiltrating Nigeria’s northwest from neighboring Niger and Mali. Initially, the military announced the strike without mentioning civilian casualties. However, Sokoto state governor Ahmed Aliyu later disclosed that the air raid mistakenly bombed civilians, leaving several wounded alongside the fatalities.
Buba clarified that the strike hit a cache of munitions belonging to the insurgents, causing explosions that scattered debris and resulted in unintended civilian harm. He described the location as a “high-concentration hideout” for the Lakurawa group and noted that investigations are ongoing to determine whether the civilians affected had any ties to the insurgents.
The military expressed regret over the incident and emphasized its commitment to preventing civilian casualties in future operations. “Troops will continue to take painstaking measures to avoid harm to non-combatants,” Buba stated.
This incident adds to growing concerns over the impact of military operations in the region. In December last year, a similar airstrike intended for insurgents mistakenly killed at least 85 civilians, an event the government labeled as “unfortunate and unintended.”
The Lakurawa group’s growing presence has heightened security challenges in Nigeria’s northwest, prompting intensified military efforts to counter the insurgents and prevent further instability.