Historians Paul Moorcraft and Peter McLaughlin write that this exaggerated considerably the actual number of guerrillas killed , as most of Nkomo 's army , then numbering about 10 @,@ 000 fighters , had not been touched . On the other hand , unarmed refugees often camped in or around insurgent positions , and hundreds of these had been killed in the Rhodesian raid . Moorcraft and McLaughlin comment that for the Rhodesian airmen , it would have been " impossible to distinguish innocent refugees from young ZIPRA recruits . " Sibanda describes Freedom Camp as " a refugee camp for boys " , and says " 351 boys and girls " were killed . He claims that the Red Cross and the UN Refugee Agency " confirmed ZAPU 's claim that Smith 's forces struck at defenseless , civilian trainees " .