Military airstrike kills 20 terrorists in northern Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria

At least 20 terrorists were killed in a Nigerian military airstrike targeting fortified camps along the Funtua-Gusau road in Katsina state, the Nigerian Air Force said Saturday.

According to Kabiru Ali, deputy director of the Nigerian Airforce public relations, the operation was conducted after credible intelligence revealed the presence of a large group of terrorists in the area.

“The airstrikes, which preceded careful and actionable intelligence advancing purposeful lethality, destroyed the fortified camps of notorious bandit kingpins Gero (Alhaji) and Alhaji Riga, neutralizing over 20 criminals, with additional casualties reported in the surrounding rocky hills,” Ali said in a statement shared with Anadolu.

“Riga and Gero were key enablers of banditry, sheltering terrorist elements responsible for relentless ambushes along the Funtua-Gusau Road, particularly between the Yankara and Sheme villages. Their elimination marks a major breakthrough in the ongoing military campaign to restore peace in the North-West,” the statement added.

This latest development is seen as a significant victory in the ongoing fight against terrorism in Nigeria, and the military has vowed to continue its efforts to rid the country of the scourge of terrorism.