DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS DENIES KILLING 20 FISHERMEN IN BORNO STATE
The Defence Headquarters has debunked reports making the rounds in some social and conventional media which claims that members of Operation HADIN KAI on Sunday 26 September 2021, killed 20 Fishermen in air strikes at Kwatan Daban Masara area in the fringes of Lake Tchad.
The Acting Director of Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Onyeuko has reacted saying that the information is misleading and far from the truth.
He however said that the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI on 26 September 2021, acting on credible actionable intelligence on the activities of terrorists in an identified ISWAP Camp at the said location, conducted air strikes on the target.
"This was after careful Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance missions revealed the activities of ISWAP elements in the location. Consequently, the intelligence gathered was processed and carefully analyzed between the period of 19 August and 23 September 2021. Persons wearing combat vests and uniforms identified as ISWAP-styled uniforms were seen within the camp. Furthermore, neither women nor children were noticed in or around the camp, just as no fishing activities were seen"
"Instead, canoes loaded with unidentified items were seen parked but not engaged in any fishing activity, an indication that they were to be ferried to another location. Having carefully ascertained that nearby civilian settlements were not in the line of fire and a precision strike would disrupt ISWAP logistics movement and neutralize them; a decision was made to conduct a strike on the ISWAP camp. Although casualty figures could not be ascertained, the strike was verified to be successful in disrupting ISWAP logistics movement and foot soldiers".
He also said that the location is a well known ISWAP enclave and there is an existing ban on fishing activities within the area which is said to be a den for the dreaded terrorists.
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