The Defence Headquarters says the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji has destroyed armed bandits’ camp in an air raid on Kagara Forest in Zamfara and killed several bandits on July 20.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Enenche said the air interdiction mission was conducted after intelligence reports indicated heavy presence of the armed bandits, along with a large number of rustled livestock, in a portion of the forest.
He said the intelligence was later confirmed by series of aerial surveillance missions, leading to the air bombardment on the location.
According to him, the component dispatched Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to engage the location, with their ammunitions hitting the targets leading to the killing of some of the armed bandits.
“Some of them who were seen attempting to escape camouflaged in between the livestock were taken out in follow-on attacks.”
Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar was quoted to have commended the troops for their professionalism.
He 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 to restore normalcy in the North-West and North-Central Zones of the Country.
