ABUJA, May 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 70 suspected terrorists were killed in a series of drone strikes in Nigeria's central Niger State early Sunday, the military said on Monday, rejecting reports of civilian casualties.
In a statement made available to Xinhua in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, military spokesperson Michael Onoja said the air operations in Shiroro Local Government Area, Niger State, were carried out based on intelligence reports.
According to the military, the strikes targeted locations believed to be used by armed groups across five villages in the area.
Post-strike intelligence and local accounts indicated that the bodies of over 70 suspected terrorists were being prepared for burial in one of the villages on Sunday, Onoja said.
The military also said that surveillance observed over 200 armed men on motorcycles fleeing toward a nearby village, suggesting possible attempts to regroup for potential attacks on surrounding communities and security installations.
Some local media reported on Sunday that an unspecified number of civilians were killed during the airstrikes. Onoja refuted the reports, saying the strikes did not affect civilians as residents of the targeted communities had relocated before the operation. ■