The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), under the Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch, has carried out a series of airstrikes that destroyed terrorist enclaves and bandit hideouts across parts of Niger and Kaduna states, dealing what military authorities described as a significant blow to armed criminal groups operating in the North-West.
According to military authorities, the intelligence-led operations followed weeks of surveillance and reconnaissance that identified the locations of suspected terrorist camps, logistics bases, and concentrations of armed fighters in forested areas used as operational headquarters.
The air operations targeted strategic locations in Kaduna and Niger states that have long served as transit routes and safe havens for bandits and other armed groups involved in kidnappings, attacks on communities, and ambushes along major roads.
In Kaduna State, fighter aircraft struck camps located within the Malum Forest and surrounding communities in Giwa Local Government Area. The Nigerian Air Force said battle damage assessments indicated that several structures used by the armed groups, including logistics facilities and operational camps, were destroyed during the strikes. The military also reported that a number of suspected terrorists were neutralised in the operation.
Simultaneously, air assets conducted strikes along forest corridors linking Shiroro and neighbouring communities in Niger State. Military authorities said the operation targeted a convoy of armed bandits travelling on motorcycles, disrupting their movement and forcing surviving members of the group to flee into surrounding forests while abandoning equipment.
The military said the operations were designed to disrupt the mobility and logistics networks of armed groups that have exploited the dense forests spanning Niger and Kaduna states to launch attacks on rural communities and travellers.
A statement from the Defence Headquarters commended the air crews involved in the missions, describing the strikes as part of ongoing efforts to deny terrorists and bandits freedom of movement and eliminate their operational bases.
The military added that coordinated air and ground operations would continue across the affected regions, with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions supporting troops in identifying and engaging criminal elements.
Authorities reiterated their commitment to sustaining pressure on armed groups across the North-West and North-Central regions, while urging residents to continue providing credible information to security agencies to support ongoing counter-terrorism and anti-banditry operations.