By Tayo ABIOLA
In its relentless campaign to rid the Northwest and Northcentral region of Nigeria of the menace of terrorism and kidnapping, the Nigerian Air Force eliminated a syndicate of terrorists in a precision strike along the Kwiga-Kampamin Doka axis in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State.
In a statement by the spokesperson of the Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, on Monday, the Air Force carried out the operation.
“The Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch has eliminated a syndicate of terrorists in Kaduna State,” he said.
“The strike followed an intelligence report of the movement of the syndicate along the Kwiga-Kampamin Doka axis in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State.
“The intel also revealed that the same syndicate was responsible for the ambush on troops at Kwanan Mutuwa on 27 January 2024 as well as several attacks and abduction of innocent civilians in Birnin Gwari.”
Gabkwet said on arrival at the suspected location, a deliberate and detailed scan revealed a trail of terrorists sighted moving in a convoy of about 15 motorcycles, each with at least two armed terrorists.
Accordingly, the terrorists were trailed to a location where they converged before they were engaged and neutralized in a precision strike by the Air Force operatives.
According to Gabkwet, the aftermath of the air strike revealed that several of the terrorists were eliminated as a result of the strike.
The spokesperson added that the success of this particular strike has drawn the attention of the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar who commended the Component Commander but cautioned that the efforts must be sustained to arrest more terrorists and bandits.
“While this does not call for celebration on our part, I must commend the professionalism of the crew for patiently trailing the criminals until an appropriate opportunity to strike presented itself.
“We must keep pushing and striving,” Abubakar said.
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