Troops of the Nigerian military drawn from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Army have hit many hideouts of bandits terrorising farmers, communities and villages in Zamfara State.
The troops, attached to Operation Fasan Yamma, a standby military operation combing some places in the Northwest to get rid of terrorists in the region, killed many bandits during the operation.
It was learnt that the terrorists, who were hibernating at Makakkari Forest located in the state, and led by different kingpins, were on a mission to invade a farming community and wreck havoc as usual.
Daily Trust reports that the military’s intensified aggressive posture against the marauding terrorists in Zamfara came on the heels of residents’ protest against growing insecurity in the state.
Last Thursday, hundreds of protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in the state capital, Gusau, over the insecurity situation in the area.
The protesters comprised mainly elderly women and nursing mothers from Jimrawa village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Residents said the poor condition of roads in the state was aiding the bandits, noting that security personnel face serious challenges reaching the affected areas promptly.
Giving an update on Monday about the air operation that was carried out on Sunday, the spokesman of NAF, Ehimen Ejodame, explained that the terrorists were neutralised in a coordinated air and ground assault in the forest.
Ejodame, an Air Commodore, explained that ground troops found out after the operation that several notorious kingpins and their foot soldiers were wasted during the operation.
He said “Intelligence Surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) had confirmed movements of over 400 bandits, planning to invade a farming community.
“The operation involved precision airstrikes and ground assaults, resulting in the deaths of several notorious kingpins and scores of their foot soldiers.
“The synergy between air and land components made the operation exceptional.”
DAILY TRUST.
