Banditry: Air force kills 135 bandits in Katsina, Zamfara

The Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI has killed 135 bandits during an air interjection on the criminals’ camps in several locations in Zamfara and Katsina states.

The operation is part of the renewed offensive to rid the North-west of armed bandits and other criminal elements, Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche has said.

He said the air strikes which were conducted between May 20 and 22, 2020,  were undertaken sequel to “credible Human Intelligence (HUMINT) reports as well as series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions that led to the identification of the camps, which include Abu Radde Camps 1 and 2 and Dunya in Jibia and DanMusa Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Katsina State as well as Hassan Tagwaye’s Camp; Alhaji Auta’s Camp and Maikomi in Birnin Magaji and Zurmi LGAs of Zamfara State.”

“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,” Enenche said.

“At the Abu Radde Camps on 20 May 2020, a set of huts housing one of the notorious bandit leaders was taken out by air strikes with scores of the bandits killed and few seen fleeing with gunshot wounds towards the Dumburum Forest. 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 air strikes at the various locations.”

He said the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar has  commended the Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI for their professionalism and directs them to remain resolute, in order to achieve the directives of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)to restore normalcy to all parts of Nigeria.

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