The Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch has eliminated a syndicate of terrorists in Kaduna State.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, the strike followed an intelligence report of the movement of the syndicate along the Kwiga-Kampamin Doka axis in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State.
AVM Gabkwet said the intel also revealed that the same syndicate was responsible for the ambush on troops at Kwanan Mutuwa on 27 January 2024 as well as several attacks and abduction of innocent civilians in Birnin Gwari.
He disclosed that 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 2 armed terrorists.
Accordingly, the terrorists were trailed to a location where they converged before they were engaged and neutralized in a precision strike, whose aftermath revealed that several of the terrorists were eliminated.
While Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has commended the Component Commander for the feat, he however cautioned that efforts must be sustained.
“While this does not call for celebration on our part, I must commend the professionalism of the crew for patiently trailing the criminals until an appropriate opportunity to strike presented itself. We must keep pushing and striving”, the Air Chief said.
