DHQ: Over 70 Bandits Killed as Military Jets Bomb Terrorist Hideouts in Zamfara, Niger

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced that more than 70 suspected bandits were killed during coordinated military airstrikes targeting terrorist enclaves in parts of Zamfara and Niger states.

The operations, carried out by the Nigerian Air Force in collaboration with ground troops, were said to have struck several identified hideouts used by armed gangs responsible for repeated attacks, kidnappings and cattle rustling across the North-West and North-Central regions.

According to military authorities, the air raids followed weeks of intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance and tracking of movements of suspected terrorists operating within forest corridors and remote settlements in the affected states.

Sources within the military disclosed that the strikes hit strategic camps where large numbers of bandits had assembled, leading to heavy casualties among the criminal groups. Several motorcycles, weapons caches, makeshift shelters and logistics supplies belonging to the bandits were reportedly destroyed during the bombardments.

The Defence Headquarters stated that the operations formed part of ongoing nationwide offensives aimed at dismantling criminal networks threatening security in various parts of the country.

In a statement issued after the operations, the DHQ dismissed allegations circulating on social media that civilians were affected by the strikes, insisting that only verified terrorist targets were engaged.

The military maintained that extensive reconnaissance missions and intelligence assessments were conducted before the attacks to minimise the risk of collateral damage.

“The operations were carefully planned and executed based on credible intelligence. Our targets were strictly terrorist elements and their logistics bases,” a military source said.

Communities in parts of Zamfara and Niger states have suffered years of violent attacks linked to armed bandit groups involved in mass abductions, village raids and attacks on security formations.

Security analysts say recent intensified aerial offensives by the military have significantly disrupted the activities of armed groups operating within forests stretching across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto and Niger states.

Residents in some affected communities reportedly observed fighter jets hovering over suspected bandit hideouts before hearing multiple explosions during the operations.

Although authorities have not yet disclosed the exact locations of the strikes or the identities of the groups targeted, military insiders said additional clearance operations are ongoing to track fleeing terrorists and prevent regrouping.

The DHQ reassured Nigerians that security forces remain committed to restoring peace and stability in troubled regions, adding that coordinated land and air offensives against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements will continue across the country.

The military also urged citizens to continue supporting security agencies with credible information capable of aiding ongoing counter-terrorism and anti-banditry operations.