The Nigerian Army has defended its recent airstrike on a suspected terrorist location in Jilli village, Gubio Local Government Area, following reports that civilians were killed during the operation.
Residents had reported that several persons, including traders, were feared dead after the strike hit a busy weekly market located along the Borno–Yobe border on Saturday.
However, in a statement on Sunday, the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, said the target was a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province.
He explained that the operation, carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai in coordination with ground troops, followed sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance over the Bindul–Jilli axis, described as a major corridor for insurgent movement.
According to him, the strike was based on credible intelligence indicating the movement of suspected terrorists, including motorcycles and vehicles converging on the location.
Uba stated that the operation underwent a thorough targeting process, with confirmation from multiple intelligence sources and continuous aerial surveillance before execution.
“Following final verification, precision strikes were carried out on the identified target, resulting in the destruction of the террорист logistics base and neutralisation of several insurgents,” he said.
He added that the operation also disrupted planned attacks on military formations in the Gubio axis, noting that the affected location had previously been linked to recent assaults in nearby communities.
The army recalled that troops had earlier suffered casualties from an improvised explosive device attack along the same corridor, while fresh attacks were recorded in Ngamdu and Benisheik days before the strike.
Uba further disclosed that a suspected logistics courier linked to the insurgents was arrested in Ngamdu on April 12, and had allegedly confessed to involvement in recent attacks and supply operations.
He reiterated that the military would continue to intensify operations to dismantle terrorist networks, stressing that movements involving motorcycles in restricted areas remain prohibited due to their frequent use by insurgents.
The army maintained that the strike was precise and necessary to degrade terrorist capabilities, even as concerns persist over reported civilian casualties.
