Military Airstrikes Disrupt Planned Bandit Attacks In Niger, Kaduna

Military Airstrikes Disrupt Planned Bandit Attacks In Niger, Kaduna The Nigerian military has intensified its offensive against armed groups in the North-West, carrying out coordinated airstrikes that disrupted planned bandit attacks in Niger and Kaduna states while neutralising several suspected terrorists. The strikes, executed by the Air Component of Joint Task Force North West Operation FANSAN YAMMA on June 29, 2026, followed what the military described as credible intelligence on the movement and gathering of suspected terrorists within the Joint Operations Area. In a statement posted on its official social media platforms, the Nigerian Army said one of the operations targeted the Dogon Dawa axis of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State after intelligence, corroborated by human intelligence sources, indicated that more than 200 suspected terrorists riding on motorcycles had converged in the area. According to the Army, aerial surveillance confirmed the presence of armed terrorists moving in groups before identifying a large concentration of motorcycles at a suspected refuelling point. “Following positive target identification, the location was successfully engaged,” the statement said. The Army said a Battle Damage Assessment carried out after the strike confirmed that several terrorists were neutralised, while others fled with injuries towards the Kurugin Maidawa axis. “The successful strike significantly disrupted the terrorists’ activities, degraded their operational capability and denied them the freedom to regroup for further attacks,” the statement added. In a separate operation, the Air Component carried out an Armed Reconnaissance mission over Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State after receiving intelligence that armed bandits were mobilising to launch reprisal attacks against troops following recent clearance operations in the Womba general area. The military said the mission intercepted three motorcycles conveying suspected bandits heading towards the Kamuku Forest. According to the statement, the suspects attempted to evade detection after sighting the aircraft but were successfully engaged, disrupting their movement before they could reach their destination. It added that follow-up reconnaissance conducted in close coordination with ground troops detected no further suspicious activity in the area. The military said the latest operations form part of the ongoing campaign under Operation FANSAN YAMMA to sustain pressure on terrorist and bandit groups, degrade their operational capacity and prevent them from regrouping or launching fresh attacks across the North-West and adjoining states.