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in the area of operation…The mortars had the desired effect.
They created some disorientation and we did not suffer
many injuries. They caused persons to remain inside.
There was no record of women and children killed in the
operation.”
Major Warrenton Dixon
10.121.
During May 2010 Maj. Dixon held the appointment of Mortar Officer
and it was his responsibility to provide support to 2JR as directed by HQ JDF. At
para.2 of his witness statement, Maj. Dixon said –
“My stated task was to use the mortars to create a diversion
by firing into open areas that had been previously plotted.”
Early in his examination-in-chief, Maj. Dixon amplified his witness statement to
say –
“I was instructed by HQ to create a sound effect that would
distract and disorient criminals and keep women and
children indoors with a view to saving lives.”
10.122.
And at para.8 he stated –
“For the target area, I was guided by the intent of the HQ
which was to support the second battalion by creating a
diversion and distract the gunmen. The specific directive
was that we would fire into open areas where there was
little or no likelihood of causing injury or fatalities to civilians
or even the gunmen themselves.”
10.123.
In oral evidence on 2 December 2015, Maj. Dixon echoed CDS
Saunders in these words –
“An objective of using the mortars was to deter women and
children from being used as human shields. That was
grounded in experience. To my knowledge, no women or
children were killed in the operation.”