Airstrikes by the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA (AC OPFY) has destroyed bandits logistics base at Alawa Forest in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The offensive NAF airstrikes also neutralized scores of bandits who were said to be responsible for two Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks on 19 December 2024 in Bassa, Shiroro LGA, that claimed several innocent lives.
NAF spokesperson Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa disclosed this on Wednesday. He said that the air strikes were conducted on January,21, 2025 based on credible intelligence and follow-up confirmatory aerial surveillance efforts which confirmed an influx of armed terrorists into the forest.
He said that in response to the widespread violent attacks, including the two Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks on 19 December 2024 in Bassa, Shiroro LGA, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) launched a three-day sustained air operation, code-named KONAN DAJI, to degrade the terrorists’ capabilities and to make the forest uninhabitable for them.
According to him, .AC OPFY dispatched a formation of fighter aircraft to execute air interdiction missions in the area and on arrival, the jets swiftly engaged the identified targets with precision strikes and neutralized numerous armed fighters and destroyed their logistics base, as confirmed by multiple secondary explosions.
Air Vice Marshal Akinboyewa said that the NAF in close coordination with ground forces, remains resolute in its commitment to maintaining operational dominance across the region.
He added that efforts are underway to eliminate all criminal elements from Alawa Forest and its surrounding areas to ensure lasting peace and security for communities in Niger State and beyond.