{"id":121574,"date":"2025-08-23T20:58:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T19:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=121574"},"modified":"2025-08-23T20:58:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T19:58:00","slug":"naf-airstrike-destroys-bandits-base-rescues-76-victims-in-katsina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/naf-airstrike-destroys-bandits-base-rescues-76-victims-in-katsina\/","title":{"rendered":"NAF Airstrike Destroys Bandits Base, Rescues 76 Victims in Katsina"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"m#msg-f:1841264886588587366\" class=\"mail-message expanded\">\n<div id=\"m#msg-f:1841264886588587366-header\" class=\"mail-message-header spacer\" style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Lizzy Chirkpi<\/div>\n<div id=\"m#msg-f:1841264886588587366-content\" class=\"mail-message-content collapsible zoom-normal mail-show-images \">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has destroyed a key bandit hideout and rescued 76 kidnapped victims including women and children during a coordinated airstrike in Katsina State.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The precision operation, which targeted Pauwa Hill in Kankara Local Government Area, struck the stronghold of the notorious bandit kingpin, Babaro, who was behind the recent deadly attack on Gidan Mantau in Malumfashi Local Government Area.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThis morning, the NAF carried out a decisive air operation at Pauwa Hill in Kankara Local Government Area, successfully rescuing 76 kidnapped victims, including women and children,\u201d said Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu\u2019azu, in a statement issued on Saturday.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to the statement, the airstrike took place between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., with NAF jets zeroing in on Babaro\u2019s base described as one of the most feared and fortified bandit enclaves in the region.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Mu\u2019azu confirmed that all the abductees taken during the Gidan Mantau attack were among those rescued. However, he also revealed the tragic loss of one child during the ordeal.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He described the operation as a \u201cbreakthrough in ongoing security efforts across Katsina State,\u201d emphasizing that it is part of a broader strategy aimed at dismantling criminal hideouts, disrupting bandit networks, and ending the cycle of violence plaguing the region.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThe rescue underscores the effectiveness of coordinated air and ground operations,\u201d he added.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Katsina State Government commended the Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Army, and other security agencies involved in the operation, praising their \u201ccourage and professionalism.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWe remain committed to supporting them through logistics, intelligence-sharing, and community engagement until banditry is completely eradicated,\u201d the commissioner stated.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Residents have been urged to remain vigilant and to share timely and actionable information with authorities to support ongoing operations aimed at reclaiming communities from criminal elements.<\/div>\n<div id=\"m_-5546473425911448977ymail_android_signature\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lizzy Chirkpi The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has destroyed a key bandit hideout and rescued 76 kidnapped victims including women and children during a coordinated airstrike in Katsina State.&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":100204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-121574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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