At least 20 militants were killed in a Nigerian military airstrike targeting fortified camps along the Funtua-Gusau road in Katsina state, the Nigerian Air Force reported on Saturday.
The operation was launched after credible intelligence indicated the presence of a large group of terrorists in the area, according to Kabiru Ali, deputy director of the Nigerian Air Force’s public relations.
“The airstrikes, carried out following actionable intelligence, destroyed the fortified camps of notorious bandit leaders Gero (Alhaji) and Alhaji Riga, neutralizing over 20 criminals. Additional casualties were reported in the surrounding rocky hills,” Ali said in a statement shared with Anadolu.
Ali noted that Riga and Gero were key figures in the banditry network, providing shelter to terrorist elements responsible for frequent ambushes along the Funtua-Gusau road, particularly near the villages of Yankara and Sheme. Their deaths, according to the statement, represent a significant breakthrough in the ongoing military campaign to restore peace to the North-West.
The latest operation is seen as a major success in Nigeria’s continued efforts to combat terrorism, with military officials vowing to press on with their efforts to eliminate extremist groups operating in the region.