The Nigerian Military on Sunday said the air component of its ‘Operation Thunder Strike’ has killed several armed bandits at Chikwale Forest, 20Km West of the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
According to the military, series of confirmatory aerial surveillance missions and credible intelligence reports indicate a significant presence of armed bandits in the area, which is in the Mangoro area of Chikun local government area in Kaduna State.
John Enenche, a major general and coordinator, Defence Media Operations (DMO), in a statement, said the operation was executed January 23, when the air component dispatched an appropriate force package of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships to attack the location.
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“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”, Enenche said.
“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 neutralized in the airstrikes, while some escaped with various degrees of injuries. Meanwhile, aerial surveillance missions have been intensified, in coordination with ground troops, to locate the fleeing bandits,” he added.
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