Air raids in Katsina, Sokoto leave scores dead, wounded

Scores of bandits took the hit on October 5 as military troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI bombarded the criminals’ hideouts in Sokoto and Katsina Forest.

Places shelled in Sokoto include Mashema, Yanfako, Gebe, and Gatawa Forests in Isaa and Sabon Birni local government areas of the State.

“We observed that structures and logistics items camouflaged under the dense vegetation, were being used as staging areas where some bandits from Turji and Maigona Camps and their fighters meet to plan and launch attacks,” a military source told PRNigeria.

“Accordingly, the Theatre dispatched a force package of Air Force fighter jets and helicopter gunships to engage the locations. According to local sources in the area, the attack aircraft scored devastating hits in the target areas, destroying some structures and neutralizing several of the Bandits. The fleeing Bandits survivors were seen by some locals taking refuge in a primary school in Bafarawa Village.”

In Katsina, the bandits’ hideouts in Ranch Ten parts of the Rugu forest bordering Kankara Local Government area were bombarded by NAF fighter aircraft between 30 September and 3rd October 2021.

A camp at Gajere  was destroyed and 34 bandits killed in the attack.

Also, about 20 suspected bandits sustained varying degree of injuries, PRNigeria stated.