The Nigerian Armed Forces said on Sunday that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) killed “close to 200-armed bandits” in multiple air strikes in the Northwest region of the country.
A statement by Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, said that the airstrikes conducted under the Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI took place at Ibrahim Mai’Bai’s Camp in Jibia Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State and Kurmin Kura in Zurmi LGA of Zamfara State on Friday and Saturday.
General Enenche said in the statement that “the air strikes were executed after series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions led to the confirmation that the 2 locations were being used as hideouts for some notorious armed bandit leaders whilst also serving as collection points for rustled cattle.
“Accordingly, Air Component, employing Nigerian Air Force ground attack aircraft and helicopter gunships, engaged the 2 locations in multiple passes, destroying the makeshift structures in the camps as well as killing the bandit leaders and their fighters. Human Intelligence (HUMINT) sources later confirmed that close to 200 armed bandits were killed in the air strikes at the target locations.”
The Defence Spokesperson added that the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Saddique Abubakar, commended the Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI for their professionalism, directing them to remain resolute towards eradicating all armed bandits “thus achieving directives of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of restoring normalcy in the Northwest and Northcentral zones of the Country.
“The CAS has also directed that additional assets be deployed to cover Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa and Kogi States to frustrate any attempt of the bandits to relocate to adjoining States.”
