Airstrikes carried out by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have neutralised more than 40 terrorists at Musarram, within the Tumbuns (Islands) general area, after credible intelligence revealed that insurgents were gathering on canoes with plans to attack the Baga and Fish Dam axis.
NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the coordinated strikes were executed on January 15. He explained that upon arriving at the location, aircrew spotted about 10 canoes conveying over 40 suspected terrorists.
According to Ejodame, the targets were engaged in three successive passes, throwing them into disarray. He added that on January 16, NAF aircraft also provided air support to ground troops at Azir as they confronted terrorists retreating from the area.
Further scans, he said, showed terrorist elements attempting to regroup and hide under nearby trees. NAF aircraft quickly identified and engaged the targets in successive, well-coordinated strikes, leading to the neutralisation of several insurgents.
Reacting to the outcome of the operations, the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Aneke, reaffirmed the force’s commitment to delivering timely and effective air support to ground forces. He assured Nigerians of sustained operational focus, stating: “The Nigerian Air Force remains firmly committed to protecting our troops and safeguarding the nation.”
Meanwhile, the General Officer Commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Bemgba Paul Koughna, has visited the Tidibale community in Isa Local Council of Sokoto State, assuring residents displaced by bandit attacks of enhanced and sustained military protection.
The visit, his first major field engagement since assuming command, comes amid growing pressure on security agencies to stabilise rural communities across the North-West, a region long affected by banditry, mass abductions and displacement.
This development was disclosed in a statement issued yesterday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Olaniyi Osoba.
Speaking to residents during the assessment tour, Koughna said the Nigerian Army was “fully committed to ensuring that no community is left at the mercy of criminal elements,” adding that troops had been permanently deployed to the area.