Rescues 35 Abductees In Katsina
THE air component of Operation Whirl Punch has eliminated about 30 terrorists on motorcycles in the Birnin Gwari Local Council of Kaduna State, even as security operatives in Katsina State rescued 35 kidnap victims inside Dumburu Forest.
The air strikes were ordered following an intelligence report that indicated the movement of the terrorists in the area.
According to a statement by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, the eliminated terrorists were responsible for the recent ambush of troops at Kwanan Mutuwa and as several attacks and abduction of civilians in the area.
Gabkwet said: “In its relentless campaign to rid the Northwest and North Central region of the menace of terrorism and kidnapping, the air component of Operation Whirl Punch eliminated a syndicate of terrorists in Kaduna State.
“The strike followed an intelligence report of the movement of the syndicate along the Kwiga-Kampamin Doka axis in the Birnin Gwari LGA.
“The intel also revealed that the same syndicate was responsible for the ambush on troops at Kwanan Mutuwa on January 27, 2024, as well as several attacks and abduction of innocent civilians in Birnin Gwari.”
Gabkwet explained that when the troops arrived at the location, armed terrorists were sighted on 15 motorcycles and a precision strike was conducted, which eliminated them.
“On arrival at the suspected location, a deliberate and detailed scan revealed a trail of terrorists sighted moving in a convoy of about 15 motorcycles, each with at least two armed terrorists.
“Accordingly, the terrorists were trailed to a location where they converged before they were engaged and neutralised in a precision strike. The aftermath of the air strike revealed that several of the terrorists were eliminated as a result of the strike,” he added.
Birnin Gwari is one of the areas ravaged by insecurity, with bandits killing and abducting residents.
Meanwhile, security operatives in Katsina rescued 35 kidnap victims, who were kidnapped from Tashar Nagulle and Nahuta communities in the Batsari Local Council, inside Dumburu Forest after a fierce gun battle between troops and the bandits.
The 35 victims were brought to the Government House, Katsina,where Governor Dikko Radda met and congratulated them.
A statement by Radda’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Ibrahim Mohammed, said the governor gave the victims N100,000 each in financial support to start off any business of their choice.
The statement said many bandits were killed, their camps destroyed and a lots of weapons recovered through the joint efforts of security operatives in the state.
