Nigerian military jets have conducted airstrikes on a gathering of bandit militias in the country's northwest, resulting in the reported death of approximately 100 gunmen, as stated by two army sources and local residents on Friday.

Nigeria's air force confirmed conducting bombardments in northwestern Zamfara State on Tuesday; however, a spokesperson noted that specific casualty figures were not available at that time.

For years, the northwestern and central Nigerian states have grappled with armed groups that raid villages, targeting residents for ransom and engaging in violence in areas with limited state presence.

These criminal groups, known for large-scale kidnappings in recent years, operate from concealed camps within a vast forest spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states.

"Fighter jets conducted air strikes on bandits, I'm sure more than 100 were killed and almost twice that number were badly injured," one of the military officers involved in the operation said.

A similar amount was also confirmed by another military official. Because they were not authorized to talk about the operation, both talked anonymously.

Prior to the attacks, the military got information indicating that multiple gangs had gathered in a region along the borders of the states of Zamfara, Kebbi, and Niger with the intention of targeting local towns and a military post.

Since the military arrived in 2015 to combat the gangs, the air strike on Tuesday was the second most intensive aerial operation against bandits in Zamfara.