By Gbemiga Olamikan.
Nigerian Air Force has confirmed total clearance of bandit who recently attacked troop and Citizens at Bassa Community in Niger State in air strikes carried out on Saturday, 27 April 2024, by the Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch that targeted terrorists’ hideouts in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State
This was disclosed by Director of Public Relations and Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal, Edward Gabkwet in a statement today.
AVM Edward said, in Shiroro LGA, the strikes were executed at the stronghold of notorious terrorist kingpin, Mallam Umar and several other commanders located in the Alawa Forest area. He said the strikes conducted were sequel to extensive Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations in the targeted area which 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.
