By MOHAMMED MOMOH

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Fighters from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have raided the enclaves of bandits and terrorists, killing 45 bandits as well as frontline commander of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). 

The Air Force carried out the airstrikes following intelligence reports on the key enclaves of kidnapping and banditry activities in Rijana, Kaduna State in North West Nigeria and the epicenter of the activities of fighters of ISWAP in North East Borno.

In Kaduna, the airstrikes destroyed an armoury and a building occupied by a kidnapping kingpin identified as Ali Kawaje (Kwaja), and killed 45 bandits within the vicinity. 

Bandits often use these enclaves as their staging points to carry out attacks on travellers and commuters on the Abuja -Kaduna Expressway. 

The airstrike follows attacks three days earlier on unsuspecting travellers along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway. 

 “Most of the attacks along Kaduna-Abuja Expressway are orchestrated by bandits from Rijana-Kuzo axis. After confirming the location, the Air Component of Operation Thunder Strike of the Nigerian military scrambled fighter aircraft to take out the targets,” the military said in a report. 

“Overhead the target area, armed bandits were spotted gathered. Some bandits attempted to flee after the initial strike but were trailed to a location, about 4km Southeast of Kaduna State NYSC Orientation Camp, and were subsequently neutralised,’’ the military report added. 

It said that the Air Component destroyed a key bandits’ house at Kofita, after it was revealed that the building served as a warehouse and staging location for most of the attacks in the area. 

The military also reported that the airstrikes also killed ISWAP Commander, Abou-Sufyan, and others in Lake Chad region in Borno state which borders the Cameroon and Chad republics. 

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said that its component of the Operation Hadin Kai launched a series of attacks on Sunday at ISWAP armoury base at Kusuma and Sigir in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State. 

 The operation was conducted after Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions revealed the presence of several fighters who converged on the area in their preparatory move to launch attacks on troops in the axis. 

 “The ATF scrambled super Tucano aircraft in attacking the target area in multiple waves, which recorded direct hits on a weapon-manufacturing facility, fuel dump, armoury base and an infrastructure filled with vehicles and motorcycles. 

 “Some terrorists fleeing the area were also intercepted and neutralised in follow-up attacks by the Nigerian troops. The week-long sustained air offensives have impacted on jihadists’ operational command and thwarted the group’s plans to carry out major attacks on the military formations in the axis,’’ the military said in a statement on Tuesday.