By Victor Akaa, Abuja.
Scores of armed bandits eliminated as well as their cluster of huts cleared in some identified camps of bandits at Yadi and Kufai Shantu areas of Giwa Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna State during a joint offensive operation conducted by both the Land and Air Components of Operation Thunder Strike on 24 October, 2020.
This was achieved on the heels of credible Human Intelligence reports as well as series of aerial surveillance missions that led to the identification of the hideouts of a notorious bandits’ leader and his fighters.
Maj. Gen. John Enenche, Coordinator Defence Media Operations ,Defence Headquarters disclosed this in a statement to Enugu Reporters explained that the attacks by the troops was conducted in two waves to support each other in the operations.
“The first wave of the Air Component’s air strikes, which involved 7 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft undertaking 12 missions in a total of 23 sorties, commenced at dawn and targeted a cluster of huts housing notorious armed bandits’ leader, named Buhari Halilu.
“The attack aircraft destroyed some of the target structures and neutralized several bandits.
“The second wave of attacks, which targeted the bandits’ hideout at Kufai Shantu, was aimed at incapacitating the bandits at the location to reduce resistance to the ground troops advance towards Yadi.
“Following the Air Component’s fixing efforts at Kufai Shantu, the Land Component, supported by an attack helicopter, successfully assaulted Halilu’s hideout at Yadi, clearing 2 of 3 objectives.
“The ground troops subsequently fought through fierce resistance from bandits hiding under the foliage at the third objective and eventually overpowered the criminals, eliminating several of them.
“The Air Component provided effective support to the ground troops during all phases of the operation.” the statement added.
