Air Bombardments Kill 8 Bandits’ Leaders as Troops Rescue 3
Eight prominent bandits’ leaders and no fewer than a dozen of their fighters have been killed in the Zamfara State section of Kagara Forest, the Defence Media Operations (DMO) has disclosed.
It added that they were eliminated in air strikes executed by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji, on Thursday.
The DMO, in a statement by its Coordinator, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, said this was achieved pursuant to Human Intelligence (HUMINT) reports, which indicated that some armed bandits had relocated with a large number of rustled livestock from the Sokoto State side of the Forest and set up camp in the Zamfara portion of the Forest.
It added that Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions also later confirmed the exact location of the camp.
The DMO further explained that, “Accordingly, the Air Component dispatched Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships to engage the location. As the attack aircraft approached the camp, some of the bandits and their leaders were seen fleeing towards the surrounding bushes.
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“Consequently, the attack aircraft struck the area of vegetation taking out several of the bandits. HUMINT sources later confirmed that 8 bandit leaders and no fewer than a dozen of their fighters were killed as a result of the strikes.
‘The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has commended the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji for their professionalism and urged them to remain resolute in the conduct of air strikes whilst continuing to provide close air support for ongoing ground operations in order to eradicate all armed bandits; thus accomplishing the directives of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to restore normalcy in the North-West and North-Central Zones of the Country.”
In a related development, Maj. Gen. Enenche, has disclosed that sequel to credible intelligence on the kidnap of some people by armed bandits from their farm in Gwazunu village, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State, troops of Operation Thunder Strike, under the subsidiary Operation Accord, were promptly deployed to the scene and engaged the bandits with effective firepower.
He said the bandits escaped in disarray with gun shot wounds thereby abandoning the kidnapped victims.
According to him, all the 3 victims were successfully rescued unhurt and have been reunited with their families.
