The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) announced yesterday that it had carried out more air strikes against Boko Haram terrorists in the Sambisa general area in Borno State, killing scores of them and destroying their structures and hideouts in the process.
The bombardment of the insurgents were said to have been conducted with four fighter jets and two helicopters after series of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissannce (ISR) missions had been carried out on the target areas.
According to the Director of Public Relations and Information of NAF, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole carried out the strikes in an operation code-named operation Ruwan Wuta III.
He explained in a statement supported with a declassified video footage that “on 12 Dec 17, the Air Task Force of OP LAFIYA DOLE commenced an intensive bombardment of the hideouts of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) in Northern BORNO and the SAMBISA general area in an operation codenamed Operation RUWAN WUTA 3.
“On the first day of the Operation, an air interdiction mission was conducted on a BHT hideout in KOLARAM, which is 37km East of MONGUNO.”
According to AVM Adesanya “Previous Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions by Nigerian Air Force (NAF) platforms had revealed KOLARAM to be an active BHT location from where the terrorists had launched attacks on our surface forces in Northern BORNO.
“Accordingly, 2 NAF helicopters were detailed for a pre-dawn attack on the settlement, followed by another wave of attacks from 4 fighter aircraft.
“Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) showed that several structures were destroyed, causing fire within the settlement while some insurgents were killed in the process.
“On the same day, one NAF helicopter and some fighter aircraft attacked an adjoining settlement Southeast of KOLARAM, targeting structures that had been observed to host significant BHT activities. The targeted BHT structures were destroyed and engulfed in fire, killing the terrorists hiding in them.
“During the attacks on KOLARAM and Southeast of KOLARAM, some escaping insurgents were tracked as they fled northwards to JUBILARAM, which is 38km Northeast of MONGUNO.
“ Accordingly, another wave of air interdiction was launched on the location, which was also found to be active with BHT activities. Four NAF fighter aircraft took turns to attack structures occupied by BHT elements in the settlement.
“Subsequent BDA revealed that the attacks resulted in a large part of the settlement being engulfed in fire, thereby destroying the BHTs structures and neutralising the fleeing BHTs,” AVM Adesanya stated.
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