Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), in coordination with the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA Sector 2, has conducted airstrikes on the camp of notorious bandit kingpin Alhaji Bello in Gando Forest, Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The air operation was conducted in the early hours of Thursday, August 6, 2026, targeting the terrorist camp located deep within the forest.
Alhaji Bello is reportedly a notorious bandit leader with links to the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), a militant group operating in the Sahel.
According to security sources, Bello and some members of his group had received training from JNIM in improvised explosive device (IED) making and were allegedly responsible for planting explosives along rural roads in parts of Anka Local Government Area.
Preliminary feedback from local sources indicated that the airstrikes resulted in the deaths of several terrorists within the camp.
Residents in neighbouring communities reportedly heard about five loud explosions from the direction of Gando Forest at about 6:00 a.m., with locals said to have expressed relief following the operation.
The airstrikes form part of ongoing military efforts to degrade terrorist and bandit networks, disrupt their operational bases, and deny them the freedom to launch attacks against communities in Zamfara and other parts of the North-West.
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