By TOM CHIAHEMEN, Abuja –
The Armed Forces of Nigeria again recorded a major milestone at the weekend as the Air Component of Operation THUNDER STRIKE neutralized several armed bandits at Chikwale Forest in the Mangoro area of Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna State.
The operation, executed on Saturday, was sequel to credible intelligence reports indicating the significant presence of armed bandits in the area, which is about 20Km West of the Kaduna-Abuja Highway.
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Coordinator of the Defence Media Operations, Defence Headquarters, John Enenche who made this known in a statement on Sunday, said that after series of confirmatory aerial surveillance missions, the Air Component dispatched an appropriate force package of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships to attack the location.
According to Major General Enenche, “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.”
“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 air strikes, 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 said.
He assured that the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies would sustain the offensive against the enemies of our Nation.
“We shall not relent until normalcy is restored to all troubled zones of the Country,” he promised.
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