By Lesley Muosowo Otu
The renewed offensive by the Nigerian Armed Forces to rid the North West of the Country of armed bandits and other criminal elements has seen to the decimination of several camps by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji Katsina and Zamfara States.
This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday made available to Newsdiaryonline by the Defence Spokesman, Major Gen John Enenche, who said no fewer than 135 armed bandits were neutralised in the massive air raids executed at several locations.
Enenche stated that the air strikes 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.
“These camps 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.
“At the Abu Radde Camps, 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”, the statement reads.
He added that, similar air raids were executed at Hassan Tagwaye’s and Alhaji Auta’s Camps as well as at Maikomi with equally devastating effects.
The Defence Spokesman said, “HUMINT reports later confirmed that no fewer than 135 bandits were neutralized by the series of air strikes at the various locations”.
