The Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch on Saturday, April 27, 2024 executed air strikes targeting terrorists’ hideouts in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State and economic saboteurs in the Niger Delta region, yielding significant results.
According to a statement from Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information for the Nigerian Air Force, the strikes in Shiroro LGA specifically targeted the stronghold of notorious terrorist kingpin, Mallam Umar, and several other commanders located in the Alawa Forest area. The decision to conduct these strikes followed extensive Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, which identified clusters of huts within compounds amidst dense vegetation, with a significant presence of armed terrorists in the vicinity.
Gabkwet highlighted that prior intelligence confirmed these terrorists’ responsibility for recent attacks on ground troops at Bassa Community and multiple Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) incidents along the Pandogari-Alawa Road within the same LGA. Consequently, the Air Component swiftly deployed air assets to eliminate the terrorists, resulting in effective damage to the targets.
A post-strike Battle Damage Assessment confirmed the neutralization of several terrorists and the destruction of their hideouts, impacting their ability to threaten surface forces and innocent civilians.
Simultaneously, air strikes were conducted in the Niger Delta region against economic saboteurs and oil thieves engaged in illegally siphoning crude oil from pipelines and damaging the environment. Surveillance revealed numerous illegal refining sites, which were effectively destroyed by the Air Component of Operation Delta Safe. Additionally, a Cotonou boat loaded with crude oil product was intercepted and destroyed at Akaso Krakama, along with several cooking sites in Krikama. In total, 18 illegal refining sites and 3 Cotonou boats were destroyed.
Gabkwet emphasized that these strikes significantly weakened the potency of terrorist elements in the Northwest and oil thieves in the Niger Delta region, reducing the security threat to the nation and its citizens. He pledged that Nigerian Air Force operations, in collaboration with other security agencies, will continue nationwide through extensive situational awareness, constant patrols, and targeted interdiction of criminals’ safe havens.
