Air strikes by Nigerian Air Force have struck the stronghold of notorious terrorist kingpin, Mallam Umar and several other commanders located in the Alawa Forest area In Shiroro LGA, of Niger State, North-Central Nigeria.
Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet who made this known in a statement said the air strikes were carried out on Saturday, April 27 by Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch targeting terrorists’ hideouts. He also confirmed similar strikes against economic saboteurs in the Niger Delta region which have yielded significant results.
The strikes conducted were sequel to extensive Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR operations in the targeted area, revealing clusters of huts within compounds amidst dense vegetation, with significant presence of armed terrorists.
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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 incidents along the Pandogari-Alawa Road within the same LGA.
Accordingly, the Air Component promptly deployed its air assets to eliminate the terrorists, resulting in effective and maximum damage to the targets.
A post-strike Battle Damage Assessment later confirmed the elimination 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.
On the same day, the Air Force conducted air strikes in the Niger Delta region against economic saboteurs and oil thieves, bent on illegally siphoning crude oil from mutilated pipelines.
This time, surveillance over Ke, Egbema, Akaso Krakama, Krikama and Military Council Valley revealed retinue of illegal refining sites which were effectively destroyed by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe.
A boat from Cotonou, in Benin republic, fully loaded with crude oil was also intercepted in Akaso Krakama, while it was about to depart but was subsequently destroyed.
In Krikama, several cooking sites were observed and destroyed as well. In all 18 illegal refining sites and three cotonou boats were destroyed.
These strikes have substantially weakened the potency of terrorist elements in the North-West and oil thieves in the Niger Delta region.
The airforce promised to sustain air operations while collaborating with other security agencies through extensive situational awareness, constant patrols and targeted interdiction of criminals’ safe havens.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
