The Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal, Edward Gabkwet, who made this known on Monday in a statement, said the strike followed an intelligence report of the movement of the syndicate along the Kwiga-Kampamin Doka axis.
The Nigerian Air Force has said that its Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch fighting against terrorism and kidnapping in North West and North Central regions has eliminated a kidnap syndicate in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal, Edward Gabkwet, who made this known on Monday in a statement, said the strike followed an intelligence report of the movement of the syndicate along the Kwiga-Kampamin Doka axis.
According to Gabkwet, the intel also revealed that the same syndicate was responsible for ambushing troops at Kwanan Mutuwa on January 27 as well as several attacks and abductions of civilians in Birnin Gwari council area.
He stated that on arrival at the suspected location, a deliberate and detailed scan revealed a trail of terrorists sighted moving in a convoy of about 15 motorcycles, each with at least two armed terrorists.
He said, “Accordingly, the terrorists were trailed to a location where they converged before they were engaged and neutralized in a precision strike.
“The aftermath of the air strike revealed that several of the terrorists were eliminated as a result of the strike.
“The success of this particular strike has drawn the attention of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, who has commended the Component Commander but cautioned that efforts must be sustained.”
Gabkwet quoted the Chief of Air Staff as saying, “While this does not call for celebration on our part, I must commend the professionalism of the crew for patiently trailing the criminals until an appropriate opportunity to strike presented itself. We must keep pushing and striving.”