Troops of the Nigerian Air Force, NAF attached to the Operation Whirl Punch have carried out airstrikes that targeted the stronghold of terrorists kingpin, Mallam Umar in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The airstrikes also targeted several other terrorists’ commanders at Alawa Forest area following an intelligence gathering that suggested hideouts of the terrorists.
During the operation, scores of terrorists were reportedly killed while their hideouts were destroyed by the airstrikes.
Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, the NAF spokesperson disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
According to Gabkwet, the operation which took place on Saturday decimated the terrorists’ power to carry out attack on innocent civilians.
He explained that the NAF confirmed that the terrorists were the same who ambushed ground troops at Bassa community and multiple Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs incidences along the Pandogari-Alawa Road in the same LGA.
The statement partly reads: “The strikes conducted were sequel to extensive Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations in the targeted area, revealing clusters of huts within compounds amidst dense vegetation, with significant presence of armed terrorists loitering around the vicinity.
“Also, painstaking intelligence earlier gathered had confirmed that these same terrorists were responsible for the recent attacks on ground troops at Bassa Community as well as multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) incidences along the Pandogari-Alawa Road within the same LGA.
“Accordingly, the Air Component promptly deployed its air assets to decisively eliminate the terrorists, resulting in effective and maximum damage to the targets.
“A post-strike Battle Damage Assessment later confirmed the neutralization of several of the terrorists and the destruction of their hideouts, with positive consequences on their ability to attack surface forces as well as innocent civilians within the area.”
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