NAF conducts airstrikes on terrorists’ hideouts in N/East and N/West

Several terrorist enclaves have been destroyed in recent operations throughout the theatres by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in the Northeast and Operation Hadarin Daji in the Northwest.

Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, made this announcement on Sunday in Abuja.

According to Gabkwet, inside the operating theatres, the operations were coordinated in cooperation with the land component and other security authorities.

He said that the military had made sure that there were no serious security risks to the innocent residents of the two regions from terrorists, insurgents, and other criminal groups working there.

According to Gabkwet, numerous terrorists were eliminated in the northeast on November 3 as a result of the Air Component of OPHK’s precise airstrikes. The terrorists were gathering place near Degbawa, a secluded area in the Mandara Mountains of the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno.

He said that information about the sighting of certain prominent terrorist figures and their foot soldiers likely arriving at the site for a meeting led to the decision to launch the airstrikes.

He claimed that the fact that so many people had gathered there caused concerns and that an air interdiction was required, which would have disastrous effects on the terrorists.

Following the strike, an examination of the area showed that multiple terrorists had been destroyed.

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“Several reports claim that the terrorists deliberately picked this specific site to avoid being easily discovered, particularly by NAF aircraft.

“The outcome of the strike, however, disproved the terrorists’ claims, as the air strike was successful because their evil preparations to meet were discovered.

He added, “The sources also mentioned that this strike was a significant setback for the terrorists who have recently been the targets of the air and ground components of OPHK.”

According to a NAF spokeswoman, there were also compelling signs indicating the terrorists were behind the recent attack on a few residents of Yobe’s Geidam Local Government Area on October 31.

He claimed that the terrorists had scheduled a meeting to discuss the attack and decide on their next course of action, which would involve attacking defenceless civilians and other targets.

According to Gabkwet, on November 1, the Air Component of OPHD successfully carried out a series of airstrikes in Katsina State’s Kankara Local Government Area, targeting the lair of infamous terrorist mastermind Babaru. The strikes were carried out in the North West.

He claims that Babaru has been connected to multiple incidents of banditry and terrorism in Kankara and nearby Katsina State LGAs.

He said that on February 2, more than a hundred people from the Bakori Local Government Area’s Gidan Gari and Yarmai-Yadiya villages were massacred. The stated Badaru was a part of the incident.

He claimed that the airstrikes damaged Babaru’s hideout and killed multiple terrorists, albeit it was unclear if Babaru was one of them.

According to Gabkwet, the airstrikes also targeted Mai Solar’s enclave in Zamfara’s Maru Local Government Area, a haven for terrorists.

He claimed that the airstrikes destroyed groups of enclaves that the kingpin and his allies had been using as hideouts.

NAN