WorldStage Newsonline– Nigeria’s Military has confirmed an Air strikes executed by the Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI killed, key bandits leaders and several others at Kagara Forest in Zamfara State.
Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenech in a statement at the weekend said this was achieved on 9 July 2020 pursuant to Human Intelligence (HUMINT) reports indicating 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 State portion of the Forest.
He said Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions also later confirmed the exact location of the camp.
He said, “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.
“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
Enenche, added that 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 another development, Enenche, noted that Troops of Operation Accord rescued three kidnapped victims from armed bandits who were kidnapped in their farm in Kaduna State.
He said the military engage the bandits with effective power. The bandits escaped in disarray with gun shot wounds thereby abandoning the kidnapped victims. All the 3 victims were successfully rescued unhurt and have been reunited with their families.
