In the renewed effort to end insurgency activities in the country, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) stated on Sunday that the Air Components of Operations Hadin Kai and Whirl Punch in the Northeast and North Central respectively have continued to obliterate terrorists and destroy their structures, equipment, and mobility, thus limiting their ability to attack ground troops and innocent Nigerians at will.
This information was contained in a statement made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja by the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet.
According to the statement, “at Chinene, a location tucked inside the Mandara mountain area, terrorists were, on May 3, 2024, observed to be emanating from various locations and assembling, probably for a meeting.
“Within the same location, 7-gun trucks were also observed parked under trees. Accordingly, air interdiction was authorized and conducted over the assembly area and tree coverings to decimate the terrorists and destroy their weapons and mobility.”
“After the strike, Battle Damage Assessment footages as feedback received later revealed that the strikes were successful as several terrorists were neutralized and logistics destroyed.”
The statement added that similar airstrikes were conducted on the same day, May 3, 2024, when the air component of Operation Whirl Punch conducted pre-emptive airstrikes over terrorists hibernating in Allawa village, near Shiroro in Niger State.
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According to it, “the mission was conducted following credible intelligence, which had revealed the migration of terrorists into the village after the mass exit of locals for fear of their safety.
It explained that these terrorists had, on May 1, 2024, stormed the deserted Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area and torched the Central Primary School. In the evening of the same day, another group of terrorists also arrived at the location, wielding AK-47/49 rifles after invading Galapai village in Galadima Kogo District of the same Local Government Area.
According to it, “accordingly, to prevent further occupation as well as pursue the terrorists from the location, the Air Component scrambled a formation of its platforms to attack the location.
“On arrival at the location, several terrorists were sighted and engaged effectively. Furthermore, following credible intelligence as well as detailed aerial observation, which confirmed the presence of their cache of arms hidden inside Allawa Forest, the air component further carried out airstrikes at the location.”
It added that airstrikes were also carried out North of Arugbana and Temakiri in the Niger Delta, where Illegal Refining Sites were observed and destroyed, stressing that through this action, the capabilities of oil thieves to continually sabotage and destroy oil pipelines were minimized.
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