Posted by According to the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), airstrikes in Allawa village, Shiroro Local Government Area, dealt a heavy blow to terrorist groups in Niger State.
The air component of Operation Whirl Punch carried out the airstrikes on May 3, according to Edward Gabkwet, a spokesperson for the NAF.
Those responsible for the May 1 assault on a primary school in Allawa and the subsequent invasion of Galapai hamlet were the intended targets of the operation.
The air component of Operation Whirl Punch carried out preemptive air attacks on militants hibernating in Allawa village, near Shiroro in Niger State, on 3 May 2024, according to Gabkwet.
The mission, he said, had been launched when credible intelligence indicated the presence of terrorists in the region, prompting the evacuation of residents for their own protection.
In addition, the statement mentioned that on May 1, 2024, the Central Primary School in the desolate Allawa hamlet in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) was set ablaze by the aforementioned terrorists.
Later that day, after raiding Galapai village in the Galadima Kogo area of the same LGA, another gang of terrorists with AK-47/49 rifles also showed up at the site.
Consequently, the air component prepared a formation of its platforms to launch an attack on the area in order to both stop any more occupancy and apprehend the terrorists within.
“Multiple terrorists were observed upon arrival at the scene and successfully neutralized.”
In addition, the terrorists’ arsenal was found and destroyed during the attack on Allawa woodland, according to Gabkwet.
According to him, forces from another operation launched an airstrike on Chinene in the Mandara mountains, which are situated on the boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria.
Multiple terrorists were neutralized and their weapons and supplies were destroyed as a consequence of the operation.
The presence of seven-gun trucks positioned behind trees was also pointed out by Gabkwet at the same spot.
The decision was made to authorize and carry out air interdiction over the gathering spot and forest cover in order to eliminate the terrorists and confiscate their weapons and mobility.
The strikes were effective in neutralizing numerous terrorists and destroying supplies, according to combat damage assessment footages acquired later.