NAF & ARMY TROOPS CONDUCT JOINT OPERATIONS IN NORTH-WEST & NORTH-EAST REGION 05-11-23 By Sadiq Aminu The Air components of operation hadarin daji (ophd) in the North-West and operation hadin kai (ophk), in the North-East alongside land component and other security agencies have conducted operations in the two regions aimed at denying terrorists freedom of operation in the preceding week.
In the North-West, the air component of ophd on November 1 conducted series of successful airstrikes in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, targeting the hideout of a notorious kingpin, Babaru who has been implicated in numerous criminal acts notably, the massacre of over 100 residents of gidan gari and yarmai-yadiya villages in Bakori LGA in February this year.
The airstrikes destroyed Babaru’s hideout and eliminated several terrorists, though there was no confirmation if Babaru was among those neutralised.
Air Strikes were also carried out at the enclave of terrorist kingpin known as mai solar in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State. The airstrikes took out clusters of enclaves used as hideouts by the kingpin and his cohorts at the location.
The strike was said to be successful as few survivors were observed fleeing the scene of the strike, however, there is no confirmation if mai solar was among the terrorists eliminated.
Furthermore, precision airstrikes by the Air component of ophk on November 3, also led to the elimination of several terrorists at their meeting point near Degbawa, a reclusive location within the Mandara mountains in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The statement notes that the airstrikes were called for after intelligence revealed the sighting of some key terrorists’ figures and their foot soldiers arriving the location for a probable meeting.
Their gathering in large number raised concerns, thus necessitating the need for an air interdiction on the location with devastating outcome for the terrorists.
According to several sources, the particular location was carefully chosen by the terrorists to evade being easily detected, especially by NAF aircraft.
The sources also noted that the strike was a major setback for the terrorists who have, of late, been at the receiving end of the air and land components of ophk.
Director, Public Relations and Information of NAF in a statement, says there were also strong indications that the terrorists were responsible for the recent attack on some locals in Geidam on October 31, and had planned to meet to review the attack, as well as plan the next line of attack on innocent civilians, and other vulnerable targets.