The Nigerian Air Force says the air components of Operations Whirl Punch and Delta Safe on Saturday, knocked out terrorists’ hideouts in Niger and destroyed illegal oil refining sites in the Niger Delta.
The Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet, in a statement on Sunday, that 18 illegal refining sites were destroyed in the Niger Delta.
Gabkwet said NAF air strikes also hit the enclaves of notorious terrorist kingpin, Mallam Umar, and several other commanders located in Alawa Forest in the Shiroro area of the state.
He said that there was extensive intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance in the targeted area, which revealed clusters of huts amidst dense vegetation, with a significant presence of armed terrorists.
According to him, the targeted terrorists were responsible for the recent attacks on ground troops at Bassa and the detonation of multiple Improvised Explosive Devices along Pandogari-Alawa Road in Shiroro.
“Accordingly, the air component promptly deployed its air assets to decisively eliminate the terrorists, resulting in effective and maximum damage to the targets.
