How 6 NAF Aircraft, Gunships Cleared Bandits’ Camp
The Land and Air Components of Operation Thunder Strike have neutralized several armed bandits in a joint offensive operation, around Kuku area of Kagarko Local Government Area.
The operation was launched to clear identified bandits’ camp along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway axis of Kaduna State, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said.
It added that the operation was executed yesterday, on the heels of credible Human Intelligence reports, indicating that a cluster of huts and other structures at the location served as hideout for a notorious bandits’ leader, named “Major”, along with his fighters.
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Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations (DMO), John Enenche, said the first wave of the Air Component’s air strikes, which involved 6 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft undertaking 5 missions in a total of 13 sorties, commenced at dawn and targeted the cluster of huts housing “Major”.
Enenche, a Major General, said the attack aircraft hit some of the target structures and neutralized some of the bandits.
Enenche, in a statement issued on Wednesday, explained that the second wave of attacks was executed by NAF helicopter gunships which, while continuing to engage the bandits’ location, also provided close air support to the Land Component as they advanced from Kagarko via Kuku into the bandits’ enclave.
“This paved way for the ground troops to overrun and destroy the camp without effective resistance from the bandits. A NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft remained airborne providing situational awareness for the troops throughout the operation,” he added.
