Nigerian Military airstrike kills scores of bandits in Zamfara’s Kagara forest

By Reporter

July 22, 2020- The Nigerian Military is not relenting in its efforts in combating banditry in Nigeria’s Northwest as the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji destroyed the armed bandits’ camp, killing several armed bandits on July 20.

Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday said the bandits were destroyed in an air raid on Kagara Forest in Zamfara.

Enenche said the air interdiction mission was conducted after intelligence reports indicated heavy presence of the armed bandits, along with a large number of rustled livestock, in a portion of the forest.

According to Enenche, the intelligence was later confirmed by series of aerial surveillance missions, leading to the air bombardment on the location.

He further explained that the component dispatched Nigerian Air Force fighter jets to engage the location, with their ammunitions hitting the targets leading to the killing of some of the armed bandits.

“Some of them who were seen attempting to escape camouflaged in between the livestock were taken out in follow-on attacks,” Enenche said.

Also in the statement, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar commended the troops for their professionalism, urging them to remain resolute in the conduct of air strikes.

He admonished them to provide close air support for ongoing ground operations in order to eradicate all armed bandits thus accomplishing the directives of the Chief of Defence Staff to restore normalcy in the North-West and North-Central Zones of the Country.