Kingsley Nwezeh
Air strikes undertaken by Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft under Operation Hadin Kai yesterday neutralised Dogo Umaru, a key terrorist kingpin loyal to the notorious terror leader, Bello Turji and 42 others.
It was also gathered that the air strikes were authourised after Dogo Umaru and his cohorts were confirmed to have orchestrated series of attacks on Magama village in Jibia Local Government Area (LGA) of Katsina State which led to the death of the Magana Divisional Police Officer and wounded a Nigerian Army (NA) soldier.
Dogo Umaru and his foot soldiers have been known to stage their attacks on surrounding villages from a nearby school, Tsamben Dantambara Primary School, which has since been deserted.
After trailing the terrorists to another nearby primary school near Tsaunin Babare Village, two aircraft were dispatched to the location. Overhead the location, one of the aircraft engaged the terrorists in successive passes.
Also, terrorists, who were seen fleeing for safety were equally mopped-up by the second aircraft. Feedbacks from the locals residing near Tsamben Babare village revealed that 42 terrorists were obliterated in the NAF air strikes, including Dogo Umaru.
Other sources revealed that several other terrorists also sustained varying degrees of injuries as a result of the air strikes.
The armed forces have, recently intensified attacks and air strikes against terrorists operating in the North-west and North Central. Last week, air strikes by NAF aircraft in Kaduna and Niger States eliminated scores of terrorists near the Nigerian Defence Academy and along Shadadi-Maundu respectively.
Similar successsful operations were recorded in Operation Hadin Kai in the North-east.
“With new platforms in their inventories as well as the purposeful and focused leadership that abound, it is now believable that the end to the meaningless and senseless killings by these terrorists is in sight”, a security source said.
