Air force fighter jets kill scores of bandits in Katsina, Zamfara

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, Wednesday, said the air component of Operation Hadarin Daji has has killed many armed bandits during its air interdiction operation, code-named Wutan Daji.

In a statement, Enenche said the operation, which was preceded by the massive deployment of additional air assets and ground support equipment by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to Katsina, is aimed at taking out armed bandits’ locations that were painstakingly selected.

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He explained that the selection was based on Human Intelligence (HUMINT) reports as well as series of surveillance missions in order to degrade the armed bandits’ fighting capability before it could be brought to bear against friendly forces or innocent civilians.

Enenche said since the operation began on 20 June 2020, 10 locations have been attacked and scores of armed bandits neutralised, as confirmed by Humint reports.

He said: “Some of the significant air strikes include those executed at Dutsen Asolo and Birnin Kogo areas of Katsina State as well as at Dogo Gede’s Camp in the Kwayanbana Forest area of Zamfara State.

“At Dutsen Asolo, NAF jets dispatched by the air component attacked the cave/hideout of the bandits, destroying the main entry point and neutralising some fighters,” he added.

He said some surviving bandits, who were tracked escaping from the cave area, were taken out in follow-on strikes.

Enenche also said, on 21 June 2020, at the bandits’ enclave in the Kwayanbana Forest, an attack helicopter took out one of the bandits’ logistics huts, which was seen engulfed in flames.

He further said, at Birnin Kogo on 22 June 2020, some armed bandits, who fled their dwellings in the centre of the camp to nearby bushes on hearing the sound of the attack aircraft, were neutralised as the NAF fighter jets hit them at their hiding positions.