Several suspected bandits have been killed after the Nigerian military carried out a successful airstrike on their hideout at Dogon Dawa, located along the strategic border linking Niger, Kaduna and Zamfara states.
The operation was part of the military’s ongoing offensive against armed bandits and other criminal groups operating in the North-West.
According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the airstrike was launched after intelligence reports revealed that a large number of armed bandits had gathered at the location to plan coordinated attacks on nearby communities.
Acting on the intelligence, the military carried out a precision strike on the camp, killing an unspecified number of the criminals.
The report said more than 100 motorcycles, believed to have been assembled for the planned attacks and for transporting the gunmen, were also at the location during the strike. The air raid reportedly disrupted the bandits’ plans before they could launch the attacks.
A Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) conducted after the operation, along with follow-up intelligence, showed that several surviving bandits escaped with gunshot wounds.
They reportedly fled into forests between Shadadi and Ma’undu through the Mangwaro axis in a desperate attempt to avoid further military action.
Security sources said the operation dealt a major blow to the criminal group by destroying its gathering point and disrupting its planned offensive.
The successful strike is also expected to weaken the movement of the bandits in the area, especially with the destruction of the motorcycles used for their operations.
The latest operation is part of the Nigerian military’s sustained campaign against banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the North-West.
In recent months, the armed forces have intensified intelligence-led air and ground operations aimed at destroying terrorist camps, eliminating criminal leaders and restoring security in affected communities.
Military authorities have continued to assure residents that operations against armed groups will be sustained until the criminals are denied the ability to carry out attacks and normal life is restored across the region.
