BREAKING: NAF Destroys Bandits’ Convoy, Crushes Escape Routes in Zamfara

DDM News

The Nigerian Air Force has scored a major victory in its anti-banditry operations by eliminating dozens of armed terrorists through a coordinated airstrike in Zamfara State.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that the operation, carried out on Tuesday, July 9, 2025, targeted a large convoy of bandits travelling on motorcycles near Yarbuga village in Maru Local Government Area.

The air raid was initiated after real-time intelligence surveillance revealed the movement of nearly 150 motorcycles in groups, with each carrying at least two armed operatives.

According to a press statement released by Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information at the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters, the terrorists were positively identified before the Air Force launched precision strikes using combat aircraft.

“The strike teams engaged the convoy with devastating accuracy, neutralizing scores of bandits.

Survivors attempted to flee on foot and motorcycles, but our air platforms maintained overwatch and launched successive attacks to block their escape routes,” Gabkwet stated.

The targeted area, Yarbuga, has long been a known transit route for armed gangs who terrorize residents across Zamfara, Kebbi, and parts of Sokoto States.

The successful operation was part of a broader strategy by Nigerian security forces to degrade the capabilities of these criminal elements.

Following the air assault, ground troops from Operation Hadarin Daji conducted a mop-up operation in the early hours of Wednesday, July 10, 2025.

During the ground sweep, security operatives discovered the bodies of several neutralized bandits, caches of weapons, and dozens of burnt motorcycles abandoned by fleeing terrorists.

Security analysts believe the joint air–ground offensive delivered a heavy blow to the logistics and operational network of the terrorists in the region.

“This coordinated operation demonstrates the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering resolve to deny terrorists the ability to regroup and launch attacks on innocent civilians,” Gabkwet added.

The NAF reassured the public that it would continue to support ground operations through proactive intelligence, surveillance, and tactical strikes, with the goal of restoring lasting peace to volatile areas in Nigeria’s Northwest.

The air force also called on local residents to continue sharing credible information to support military efforts against banditry.

Zamfara has remained one of the most troubled states in northern Nigeria, with repeated attacks on rural communities, mass abductions, and disruption of farming activities, making military intervention a critical tool in curbing escalating violence.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook