Air strikes launched by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets have eliminated several Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Mallam Fatori and Shuwaram areas of Borno State.
LeadNaija gathered that the strikes also destroyed bandit bases in Kwara and Katsina States, respectively.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Monday, NAF’s spokesperson, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the strikes were carried out on Sunday, November 10.
According to the statement, NAF strikes, guided by real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) feeds, dealt a heavy blow to ISWAP terrorists entrenched in the Northern Tumbuns.
It said, “Air assets conducted precision strikes southeast of Shuwaram before shifting to Mallam Fatori, where ISWAP elements were observed mobilising with motorcycles and boats along the Lake Chad Basin.
“The strikes destroyed insurgent hideouts, logistics hubs, and weapons storage facilities, eliminating several terrorists and crippling their mobility capabilities. Post-strike assessments confirmed multiple neutralisations and a significant degradation of ISWAP’s operational networks in the area.”
The statement noted that while airstrikes against ISWAP were ongoing in the North East, NAF aircraft carried out precision air interdiction missions over Garin Dandi and Chigogo in Kwara State, striking bandit camps with “devastating accuracy.”
The statement reads that the attacks were based on credible intelligence caused panic and inflicted heavy losses among the criminals.
In another operation, air assets under Operation FANSAN YAMMA struck Zango Hill, which is a haven for a terrorist kingpin and his fighters, in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, destroying their logistics settlements and neutralising several of the terrorists.
The development was, however, described by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) as one of the most decisive strikes against bandits in the North West in recent times.
The statement stated that, in a bid to demonstrate sustained reach and precision, the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, under Sector 1, conducted an Armed Reconnaissance mission across the North West corridor, covering key settlements in Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna States, including Kakihum, Dankolo, Kotonkoro, and Kuyello, which were locations known to serve as routes and hideouts for armed groups along the Birnin Gwari–Funtua axis.
“During the mission, coordination with Forward Operating Bases at Dankolo and Kotonkoro revealed suspicious movement near Wam Hill, where terrorists on motorcycles were spotted attempting to flee.
“The aircrew swiftly engaged and neutralised the targets, with no further hostile activity observed,” it said.
The Nigerian Air Force attributed the success of the precision operations across Borno, Kwara, Katsina, and the entire North West, to the renewed tempo following the directives of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke.
“Each mission reaffirms NAF’s resolve to project smarter and intelligence-driven airpower to project purposeful lethality against insurgents and criminals while protecting the lives and properties of citizens towards enhancing national security,” the statement said.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
