Nigeria Military Jets Pound 'bandits' In Northwest
Umer Jamshaid Published May 25, 2020 | 10:10 PM
Kano, Nigeria, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th May, 2020 ) :Nigeria's military has conducted a wave of air raids on criminal gangs in the northwest of the country in an operation to halt attacks on civilians, residents and the army said.
Residents reported bombings by military jets in recent days on remote camps used by armed cattle rustlers and kidnappers in Katsina and Zamfara states.
The military has said it killed over 300 so-called "bandits" since Thursday in the bombardments but AFP could not independently verify the claims.
Nigeria's army has frequently overplayed the impact of its operations in the past.
In a statement on Sunday the military claimed to have "neutralized close to 200 armed bandits in multiple air strikes" on camps in Jibia and Zurmi forests over the previous two days.
Another statement on Saturday said a string of similar raids since Thursday had killed "no fewer than 135 armed bandits".
Locals confirmed air raids in the past few days but said there was no indication of the number of casualties.
"There have been bombardments by Nigerian air force of bandits camps," Sani Alu, who lives in the village of Gurmi in Zurmi, told AFP.
"We have been seeing jets flying deep inside the forest where the bandits are based." Abubakar Dan-Malam, a resident of Birnin Magaji, said "bandits" on motorcycles had been spotted seeking to flee.
"They have been hit hard by the bombings and are looking for escape routes," Dan-Malam said.
Northwestern Nigeria has been wracked by years of insecurity involving clashes between rival communities over land, attacks by heavily-armed criminal gangs and reprisal killings by vigilante groups.
President Muhammadu Buhari last week gave the green light to an offensive after a surge of killings in his home state of Katsina on the border with Niger.
The Nigerian authorities have launched repeated military operations and local peace talks to try to curb the violence in the northwest.
But so far neither strategy has succeeded in ending the violence and much of the region remains a security vacuum.
An estimated 8,000 people have been killed in the unrest since 2011 and 200,000 people displaced.
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From Miscellaneous
-
Modern Education Techniques: A pathway to achieve economic development
21 hours ago -
Kite Flying: From cultural festival to deadly sport
22 hours ago -
PDMA predicts gusty wind, rain with thunder, hails
4 days ago -
Iranian president Raisi given guard of honour at PM House
5 days ago -
Intellectuals, writers accolades Naseer Mirza on his literary contribution
5 days ago -
Bahawalpur Adabi Sangat hosts memorable mushaira
6 days ago
-
Cattle farming vital to alleviate poverty in rural areas
6 days ago -
Pakistan: A land of tourism, archeological wonders
6 days ago -
Transforming education sector: from job hunters to job creators
8 days ago -
Amjad Bobby remembered on 19th death anniversary for timeless contributions to music
12 days ago -
Legendary actor Nadeem’s 26 films released on Eid-ul-Fitr days in 50 years
13 days ago -
Besant Hall Cultural Centre to celebrate evening with Sanam Marvi on 26 April
13 days ago