SaharaReporters learnt the operation followed a string of recent IED incidents across the Dan Sadau–Magami axis, where explosive devices planted by the terror network reportedly led to civilian deaths and injuries.
The Nigerian military on Monday launched decisive airstrikes that flattened the logistics camp of wanted terror kingpin Kachalla Dogo Sule in Zamfara State, crippling what authorities described as a major Improvised Explosive Device (IED) production base.
The strikes, coordinated by the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA (Sector 2), also levelled Turba Hill in Tsafe Local Government Area — a site intelligence officials say served as a strategic hideout for armed groups responsible for killings and bomb attacks along key travel routes.
SaharaReporters learnt the operation followed a string of recent IED incidents across the Dan Sadau–Magami axis, where explosive devices planted by the terror network reportedly led to civilian deaths and injuries.
Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, spokesperson of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), confirmed the development in Abuja, stating that persistent surveillance “revealed significant human activity” at the hill before precision munitions were deployed.
“Post-strike assessment confirmed the complete destruction of the structure and the neutralisation of several bandits,” Ejodame said, adding that the target was positively identified through multi-source intelligence.
According to the NAF, the second strike on Dogo Sule’s enclave triggered large fires that consumed multiple structures believed to house materials for IED production and operational planning.
“The camp had been linked to the planning and execution of recent IED attacks,” Ejodame disclosed, insisting the success of the mission had “effectively crippled the group’s deployment capability.”
While the military framed the operation as a major breakthrough, residents and rights observers have repeatedly questioned the sustainability of airstrike-based tactics without corresponding intelligence presence or community protection on the ground. The North-West has seen repeated cycles of raids, air operations, and renewed violence in recent years.
“The operations reaffirm the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to deny criminal elements safe havens and restore lasting peace across the North-West,” Ejodame stated.