Xinhua
08 Dec 2023

The Nigerian military on Thursday expressed regret over an airstrike accident that killed at least 85 people in a village in the northern state of Kaduna early this week.

ABUJA, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian military on Thursday expressed regret over an airstrike accident that killed at least 85 people in a village in the northern state of Kaduna early this week.

Military spokesman Edward Buba told reporters in the capital of Abuja that the Nigerian armed forces had learned from the experience and pledged to improve operational processes while continuing to conduct its operations, consistent with international laws and rules of engagement.

The military launched an airstrike in Kaduna Sunday evening during an anti-terror operation, but it hit a residential area by mistake, killing at least 85 civilians and injuring 66 others, authorities confirmed Tuesday.

"On the incident that happened, I can assure you that the military learns from its experiences and will continue to make improvements as we go along," Buba told the media Thursday. "It is an incident that has happened, and as I mentioned in my brief, we are determined to deal with it squarely."

While dismissing the insinuation that a lack of inter-service synergy could have led to the mishap, he said that military operations were being conducted jointly nationwide, with the army, navy, and air force.

The military official noted there will be a need for protocols and processes to be improved upon, saying "these, I assure you, we will put in place to ensure that in future we have near to zero occurrences."

Earlier, the Nigerian army admitted to the "error" during a meeting held Monday with government officials, according to a statement released by the government of Kaduna state.