The military high command has confirmed the destruction of a logistics base belonging to the Lakurawa terrorist group during an airstrike conducted on Christmas Day.
The operation, which targeted the group responsible for unrest in Sokoto communities, also caused a secondary explosion that resulted in the unfortunate deaths of 10 villagers.
Providing details, a military spokesperson clarified that the fatalities were not directly caused by the airstrikes but by the detonation of explosives and hand cartridges stored at the logistics site.
“The airstrike was precision-guided, and the casualties reported were due to secondary explosions triggered by the destruction of the terrorists’ materials,” explained Brigadier General Buba.
Buba emphasized that the operation followed extensive intelligence gathering and was initially delayed to minimize civilian casualties.
Ground forces later confirmed the destruction of the terrorists’ infrastructure and the elimination of several fighters, while surviving militants fled the area using their knowledge of the terrain.
In a related development, troops from Operation Hadarin Daji neutralized a notorious terrorist kingpin, Alhaji Ma’oli, in Zamfara State.
The operation, carried out in Mai Sheka village near Kunchin Kalgo town, targeted Ma’oli and his group, who had long terrorized local communities by imposing illegal levies on residents in Tsafe Local Government Area.
Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, spokesperson for Operation Hadarin Daji, stated that intelligence about the terrorists’ movements on motorcycles led to a swift response by troops, preventing an attack on locals.
The death of Ma’oli has brought significant relief to residents, marking a critical victory in the fight against terrorism in the region.