NAF air strikes destroy IED manufacturing camp, kill bandits in Zamfara
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has recorded a major operational success against armed banditry after carrying out two precision air interdiction missions on December 28 in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara state.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ehimen Ejodame, NAF’s director of public relations and information, said the strikes were executed by the air component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, sector 2, targeting Turba Hill and Kachalla Dogo Sule’s camp.
Ejodame said the operations were based on credible and multi-source intelligence, noting that NAF air assets were deployed against bandit enclaves at the identified locations.
“The first strike targeted Turba Hill, a confirmed bandit hideout. Persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance revealed significant human activity and an operational zinc-roofed structure assessed to be central to the enclave’s activities,” the statement reads.
“Following positive identification, the target was engaged with precision, resulting in a direct hit. Post-strike battle damage assessment confirmed the complete destruction of the structure and the neutralisation of several bandits.”
The NAF spokesperson said the second mission targeted Kachalla Dogo Sule’s camp, identified as a notorious bandit stronghold and a key improvised explosive device (IED) manufacturing and operational hub.
He said intelligence linked the camp to the planning and execution of recent IED attacks along the Dan Sadau–Magami axis.
Ejodame added that the precision strike hit multiple active structures within the enclave, triggering intense fires that destroyed the facilities and neutralised several bandits.
He said the operation effectively crippled the group’s IED production and deployment capability, noting that the air strikes significantly degraded bandit networks operating in Zamfara, particularly their capacity to manufacture and deploy improvised explosive devices.
“The operations reaffirm the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering commitment, working in close coordination with other components of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, to deny criminal elements safe havens, degrade their combat effectiveness, and support ongoing joint efforts to restore lasting peace and security across the north-west and the nation at large,” he said.
