In a targeted operation, the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, launched devastating airstrikes on bandit leader Bello Turji’s camp in the Kagara forest of Sokoto State, resulting in the elimination of three senior bandit leaders and a large number of their followers.
The airstrikes were a swift response to a recent attack by the terrorists on a unit of the Civilian Joint Task Force at Forward Operating Base Isa, which had resulted in the deaths of seven bandits and the recovery of seven AK-47 rifles, four motorcycles, and other incriminating items.
Tragically, eight Civilian Joint Task Force members lost their lives in a fierce gun battle with the bandits during the retaliation.
Operating on precise intelligence regarding the retreat of the attackers towards the Shinkafi area, the air component promptly deployed aircraft to pursue the fleeing terrorists, eventually pinpointing their location in the Kagara Forest near the border of Shinkafi and Isa.
Subsequently, NAF jets carried out multiple waves of attacks on the camp, resulting in the immediate decimation of numerous terrorists.
The escaping bandits encountered a coordinated ambush by ground troops at Makwaruwa village in Sabon Birni of Isa LGA, where they were intercepted and neutralized.
A detailed battle assessment revealed the demise of key bandits such as KACHALLAH UBAN DABA, DAN JANGERU, and DOGO NA HANTS, while 13 others sustained injuries of varying severity. Bello Turji, the targeted leader, managed to evade the onslaught.
Reports suggest that the injured bandits were covertly transported to Kagara for medical treatment and are currently being cared for in a local primary school.
In a vengeful act following the encounter, the surviving bandits launched attacks on Rijiya Malladan and Harin Shalla in Isa, setting fire to the villages and destroying essential supplies. However, they were eventually repelled by a joint operation involving troops from Operation Hadarin Daji and the government-supported militia, Yan sa Kai.