The Nigerian Air Force has said its Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Diran Mikiya has destroyed another armed bandits’ hideout and neutralized several of their fighters near Doumbourou Hill in Zamfara State.
Air Force spokesman Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola said the attack was executed on 2nd January 2019, following human intelligence (HUMINT) reports, which were later confirmed by Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
He said it indicated that a large number of bandits, armed with high calibre weapons, regularly assemble at a compound around the foot of the Hill before going out on operations.
He said, “Accordingly, the ATF scrambled two Nigerian Air Force (NAF) attack helicopters, supported by an ISR platform, to engage the bandits and destroy their compound.”
He said the helicopters strafed the target area in successive waves of attack, with the first wave causing some damage to the structures and neutralizing some of their fighters.
Daramola said the second wave was sequenced to engage the armed bandits as they re-emerged out of their hiding places, thus inflicting further fatalities on them.
He said credible HUMINT sources later revealed that the leader of the group was amongst those killed during the attack.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
