The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrikes have killed 50 terrorists in Sangeko Forest Zamfara State, 33 in New Kusawa Kaduna State and scores of Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Tumbuns Lake Chad Region
Sources said that the feat was executed through the Air Component of Operations Hadin Kai, Hadarin Daji and Thunders Strike as they again recorded major feats in ongoing military onslaughts against terrorist activities between 28-31 March 2022, in the Northeast and Northwest Regions of the Country.
The source noted that “in the Northeast, after days of intelligence gathering, it was concluded that terrorists’ activities in the Tumbuns near Bukar Meram and Kollaram had heightened as terrorists had converted the location into an important rendezvous point for ISWAP fighters. Bukar Meram is a known prominent ISWAP enclave in Lake Chad. Further intelligence revealed that large stockpile of weapons was concealed in the 2 locations in anticipation of terrorists’ offensive operations.
“Confirmation Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) were then conducted on 28 March 2022 where significant activities and gathering of different sets of terrorist fighters were observed at Bukar Meran while ISWAP activities were seen about 2km South of Kollaram. This further confirmed the locations as hideouts for terrorists.
“Therefore, there was the need to conduct air interdiction at Bukar Meram and South of Kollaram to neutralise terrorists and soften the ground for Nigerian Army troops to exploit. Subsequently, NAF aircraft were authorized to attack the locations. In coordination with other platforms, bombs and rockets were simultaneously dropped on the targets, while surviving and fleeing terrorists were mobbed up.
“Similar successful strikes were also recorded by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji when a fighter jet that dispatched on Armed Recce sighted over 50 terrorists on motorcycles converging under the cover of a huge vegetation at Sangeko Forest, in Maru Local Government Area (LGA) of Zamfara State. Kaduna. The terrorists upon sighting the aircraft immediately dispersed in confusion.
“It was however too late as the fighter jets took decisive turns in engaging the terrorists with cannons in successive passes, leading to the decimation of the miscreants and destruction of their motorcycles. Credible feedback from locals at Sangeko disclosed that the terrorists suffered heavy casualties as their significant number were neutralized while the few survivors escaped with various degrees of injuries.
“In Kaduna State, overnight ISR conducted between 30 and 31 March 2022 at Kusasu revealed 4 motorcycles departing the location to a slightly forested area Southwards of Kusasu. Within the same location, several other motorcycles were observed moving in pairs at random from one place to another. Since the coordinates tallied with previous intelligence earlier received that the location is a hibernating point for terrorists, NAF aircraft engaged the most viable spot which was observed to have the most significant human and motorcycle activities.
“After the impact of the strikes, about 33 terrorists’ bodies were counted, while others dispersed in various directions. The groups were trailed for a while to determine their final resting points in preparation for another possible strike. However, they all fizzled out making them non-viable targets.”
The NAF Spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, who confirmed the three operations noted that the objectives of the sustained simultaneous kinetic air operations are obviously aimed at ramping up the pressure on terrorists’ elements in the Northeast and Northwest with a view to ensuring that relative peace is achieved.
Air Commodore Gabkwet also appealed to Nigerians to continue assisting troops with useful information as regards the activities of terrorist elements around their communities, just as he reassured them that the NAF and other security agencies are working round the clock to checkmate their activities.