From Mohammed Dan-Azumi, Maiduguri
Carrying out simultaneous but cordinated airstrikes, fighter jets of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), have eliminated more than one hundred terrorists in Sangeko Forest in Zamfara, New Kusawa in Kaduna and Tumbuns in Borno State.
In the North-East after days of intelligence gathering, a ‘spy operative’ of the Nigerian military, told PRNigeria, an embedded security media outfit, that they discovered that terrorists’ activities in the Tumbuns general area near Bukar Meram and Kollaram had heightened.
According to the newspaper, insurgents had converted the location to an important rendezvous point for ISWAP and other terrorists fighters.
The sources stated: “Further intelligence revealed that large stockpile of weapons was concealed in the 2 locations in anticipation of terrorists’ offensive operations.
“Subsequently, NAF aircraft were authorized to attack the locations.
“In coordination with other platforms, bombs and rockets were simultaneously dropped on the targets, while surviving and fleeing terrorists were mobbed up.”
Similarly, it was learnt that troops of Operation Hadarin Daji carried out “aggressive bombardments” when one of its surveillance cum fighter jets sighted over 50 terrorists on motorcycles at Sangeko Forest, in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The terrorists, upon sighting the aircraft attempted to disperse in confusion, a military intelligence said, adding that they were not too fast.
“It was however too late as the fighter jets took decisive turns in engaging the terrorists with cannons in successive passes, leading to the decimation of the miscreants and destruction of their motorcycles,” credible sources said.
For the military operation in Kaduna State, PRNigeria’s investigation showed that an overnight ISR was first conducted between 30 and 31 March 2022, at Kusasu.
The ISR however, revealed four motorcycles departing the location to a slightly forested area Southwards of Kusasu.
Since the coordinates tallied with previous intelligence earlier received that the location is a hibernating point for terrorists, a NAF aircraft was scrambled, and action taken.
After the impact of the strikes, about 33 terrorists bodies were counted, while others dispersed in various directions, most with various degree of wound.
NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, confirmed the three operations.
He, however, said the objective of the simultaneous kinetic air operations was ramping up the pressure on terrorists’ elements in the North-East and North-West, with a view to ensuring that relative peace is achieved.
