The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Sunday said that the air component of Operation Thunder Strike has neutralised several armed bandits at Chikwale Forest in the Mangoro area of Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna State.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by the coordinator, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General John Enenche.
Gen Enenche stated the operation was executed on Saturday by the gallant troops following credible intelligence reports indicating the significant presence of armed bandits in the area, which was about 20km west of the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
He stated that after a series of confirmatory aerial surveillance missions, the air component dispatched an appropriate force package of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships to attack the location.
According to him, “Overhead the target area, the NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft spotted scores of bandits, mounted on motorcycles and dressed in black attire, heading towards Niger State.
“The attack aircraft therefore took turns in engaging the bandits, who were seen firing at the attack helicopter as it strafed them.
“Several armed bandits were accordingly neutralised in the airstrikes while some escaped with various degrees of injuries.”
He said that surveillance missions have been intensified, in coordination with ground troops, to locate the fleeing bandits around the area.
Gen Enenche assured that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies would sustain the offensive against the enemies of the nation and would not relent until normalcy was restored to all troubled zones of the country.
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