Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Tuesday said its Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI, engaged in the fight against banditry has killed scores of bandits and destroyed another of their operational base in Zamfara State
NAF, Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, who made this known said: “In continuation of operations aimed at rooting out armed bandits from their safe havens within the various forests in the North West of Nigeria, the Air Component of Operation HADARIN DAJI has degraded a camp and neutralised scores of armed bandits in air strikes conducted at a location near Dangote village in Zamfara State.
“The operation, which took place at dawn on June 16, 2019, was executed based on credible human intelligence (HUMINT) reports indicating that some armed bandit leaders had assembled for an overnight meeting in a cluster of huts at the location to plan for attacks against nearby communities.
“Consequently, after confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), the Air Component dispatched 2 Alpha Jets and an attack helicopter to strike the location.
“Overhead the target area, some armed bandits were seen near the huts, while others were spotted in the surrounding bushes. The Alpha Jet attacked the location in successive passes, neutralising the bandits in the surrounding bushes in the first few passes and destroying 2 of the huts housing the key leaders, which were seen engulfed in flames, in the fourth pass.
“Some surviving bandits, who were firing at the attack platforms while attempting to flee the location, were mopped-up in follow-on attacks by the helicopter.
“The NAF, working in consonance with other security agencies, will sustain its operations to flush the bandits out of the northwest of the country.”