Airstrikes conducted on Saturday by the Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch targeted terrorist hideouts in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State and economic saboteurs in the Niger Delta region, are yielding results.
According to a statement signed by the Director of Public Relations, Nigerian Air Force, Edward Gabkwet, on Sunday, the strikes hit the “stronghold of notorious terrorist leader Mallam Umar and other commanders in the Alawa Forest area in Shiroro LGA.”
The statement noted that the strikes followed Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations, revealing armed terrorists in compounds amidst dense vegetation.
The intelligence reportedly confirmed their responsibility for recent attacks on ground troops and multiple IED incidents.
Gabkwet said, “The strikes conducted were sequel to extensive Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance operations in the targeted area, revealing clusters of huts within compounds amidst dense vegetation, with a 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 incidents along the Pandogari-Alawa Road within the same LGA.”
The Air Component swiftly deployed to eliminate the terrorists, resulting in effective damage to their hideouts and neutralisation of several terrorists, the statement added.
“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 neutralisation 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,” he added.
Also, Gabkwet noted that strikes targeted economic saboteurs in the Niger Delta region, destroying illegal refining sites and boats engaged in crude oil theft.
“Similar air strikes were also carried out the same day in the Niger Delta region against economic saboteurs and oil thieves bent on illegally siphoning crude oil from mutilated pipelines while destroying the environment and ecosystems.
“This time, surveillance over Ke, Egbema, Akaso Krakama, Krikama, and Military Council Valley revealed a retinue of illegal refining sites which were effectively destroyed by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe.
“A Cotonou boat fully loaded with crude oil product was also observed at Akaso Krakama about to depart southwards and was subsequently attacked and destroyed. At Krikama, several cooking sites were observed and destroyed as well. In all 18 illegal refining sites and three Cotonou boats were destroyed,” the director added.
In December 2023, a notorious terrorist responsible for several kidnappings and killings along the Abuja-Kaduna Road and in several communities in Kaduna, Niger, Katsina and Zamfara was killed in an air strike, as announced by NAF.
NAF said Yellow Jambros and over a dozen of his followers were killed while boarding a boat to cross the Jikudna River in Galadima Kogo District, heading towards the Wurukuvhi axis of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna.