By Lawrence Audu
In a significant blow to terrorist operations in Northwest Nigeria, air strikes conducted by the air component of Operation Hadarin Daji have successfully eliminated several terrorists loyal to notorious kingpin Babura.
The strikes, in a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, was carried out on May 27, 2024, targeting bandit hideouts in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, specifically around Bakai, Bakarya, and Yartsintsiya.
According to credible intelligence, approximately 30 terrorists were neutralized in the strikes, with Babura himself narrowly escaping elimination. Most of his foot soldiers were not so fortunate.
In a related development, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai also conducted air strikes on the same day at Tumbun Fulani, near Lake Chad, targeting terrorists at a previously abandoned hideout. This location had been struck by Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft on September 26 and 28, 2023, resulting in the elimination of several terrorists and destruction of their logistics and mobility.
The return of these remnant terrorists to their once-destroyed enclave is a testament to the successes being recorded by both air and ground troops in flushing them out of their various hideouts. The air strikes were authorized after Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions observed a pattern consistent with the relocation of terrorists to new hideouts and movement of their logistics.
These operations demonstrate the continued efforts of the Nigerian military to combat terrorism and ensure the safety and security of citizens in the region.
