The Nigerian Air Force has carried out two precision Air Interdiction operations against bandit hideouts in Zamfara State, neutralising several criminals and destroying critical infrastructure used for violent attacks.
The strikes, executed on December 28, 2025, targeted Turba Hill and Kachalla Dogo Sule’s Camp in Tsafe Local Government Area.
According to the Air Force, the operations were launched after credible intelligence from multiple sources confirmed active bandit presence in both locations.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, described Kachalla Dogo Sule’s Camp as a notorious stronghold serving as a major hub for the manufacture and deployment of Improvised Explosive Devices.
Ejodame said intelligence linked the enclave to the planning and execution of recent IED attacks along the Dan Sadau–Magami corridor.
“The precision strike successfully engaged multiple active structures within the enclave, triggering intense fires that destroyed the facilities and neutralised several bandits, effectively crippling the group’s IED production and deployment capability.”
The second air strike focused on Turba Hill, which had been confirmed as a bandit hideout following persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities. Ejodame explained that the area showed significant human movement, including an operational zinc-roofed structure believed to be central to the group’s operations.
Following positive identification, the target was struck with precision, resulting in a direct hit.
Post-strike battle damage assessments, he said, confirmed that the structure was destroyed and several bandits were neutralised.
Ejodame noted that the twin operations dealt a major blow to bandit networks operating in Zamfara State, particularly weakening their ability to produce and deploy improvised explosive devices.
The missions were conducted by the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma, Sector 2, as part of a sustained campaign against armed banditry in the state.
He added that the operations underscored the Nigerian Air Force’s continued resolve, in close coordination with other components of OPFY, to deny criminal groups safe havens, reduce their combat strength, and support broader efforts to restore lasting peace and security across the North-West and the country.
Earlier, on December 14, 2025, the NAF carried out a similar AI operation at Dabar Masara, a known terrorist enclave within the Southern Tumbuns–Lake Islands axis. That strike destroyed key logistics facilities and neutralised several terrorists.
The Air Force said the operation followed credible intelligence indicating the existence of a terrorist workshop and sustained movement of armed elements in the area, as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt terror networks and degrade their operational capacity.
