In a renewed offensive to rid the North-West of armed bandits and other criminal elements, Nigerian Military on Saturday disclosed that troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI have eliminated no fewer than 135 armed bandits Katsina and Zamfara States respectively within 72 hours.
Recall that on May 17, following the recent wave of gruesome attacks on innocent villagers in several communities, President Muhammadu Buhari had authorised the commencement of a major military operation to sweep bandits and kidnappers out of these states.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, DMO, John Enenche, in a statement on Saturday, disclosed that the bandits were killed after massive air raids executed at several locations in the troubled locations.
According to Mr Enenche, who is a major-general, the airstrikes were successfully carried out, following the credible Human Intelligence, HUMINT, reports as well as series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR, missions which led to the identification of the camps,
He said: “The Camps include Abu Radde Camps 1 and 2 and Dunya in Jibia and DanMusa Local Government Areas of Katsina State as well as Hassan Tagwaye’s Camp; Alhaji Auta’s Camp and Maikomi in Birnin Magaji and Zurmi Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.
Mr Enenche explained further that “the air interdiction missions were painstakingly undertaken by the Air Component as it dispatched its attack aircraft to the locations in multiple bombing runs, some of which were executed simultaneously
“At the Abu Radde Camps on 20 May this year, a set of huts housing one of the notorious bandit leaders was taken out by airstrikes with scores of the bandits killed and few seen fleeing with gunshot wounds towards the Sunburn ForestAdvertisement
“Similar air raids were executed at Hassan Tagwaye’s and Alhaji Auta’s Camps as well as at Maikomi with equally devastating effects. HUMINT reports later confirmed that no fewer than 135 bandits were neutralized by the series of airstrikes at the various locations”.
