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Towards operationalizing the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to identify and smoke out armed bandits/terrorists wreaking havoc and killings in several parts of the North West and North East, NAF fighter aircraft and military artillery gunfire on forests where the criminals are hibernating have led to the killing of about 85 terrorists in Zamfara, Kaduna and Borno states.
In some of the operations carried out, Nigerian Airforce aircraft conducted airstrikes at Sangeko Forest in Zamfara and Kusasu forest in Kaduna states resulting in the killing of over 50 terrorists/bandits.
NAF spokesman confirmed the offensive but noted that the objective of the air operations was to ramp up pressure on terrorists’ elements in the North East and North West, with a view to ensuring that relative peace is achieved.
Military sources participating in the offensive disclosed that in Zamfara state, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji carried out ‘bombardments’ at Sangeko forest, leading to the annihilation of about 50 terrorists who were sighted on motorcycles converging in the forest preparatory to go for an attack.
Following ISR confirmation of the terrorist’s hideout/meeting point, NAF aircraft were authorized to attack the locations in synergy with other security apparatus.
Consequently, there were coordinated airstrikes on the targets with terrorists/bandits who survived the onslaught seen fleeing in a different direction.
At Kusasu forest, NAF’s ISR conducted between the 30th and 31st March confirmed armed bandits/terrorist activities and several motorcycles were seen entering and leaving the forest at odd hours fueling reports that terrorists were meeting and planning criminal attacks.
Consequently, NAF attack aircraft were scrambled to take out the terrorists in the forest and after several precision strikes, more than 33 terrorists’ bodies were counted, while escaped n various directions.
In the Northeast, following the discovery of terrorists’ activities in the Tumbuns near Bukar Meram and Kollaram where Boko Haram/SWAP terrorists were converging, a combined military offensive assault package comprising NAF airstrikes and artillery bombardment from Land forces
The military offensive Immobilized the terrorist’s meetings and activities with many neutralized while further intelligence and mop-up activities revealed a large stockpile of weapons concealed in the 2 locations to carry out their terrorist’s attacks.
Vanguard
