Following the attacks by insurgents on Garkida, Adamawa State and three villages in Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State between December 24 and 28, fighter jets of the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole on Tuesday bombed a major hideout of the terrorists in Sambisa Forest.
The insurgents fired at the aircraft but the air strikes decimated scores of the terrorists and destroyed an anti-aircraft gun station set up by the outlaws.
The Yuletide attacks on the two states resulted in the death of 11 persons and the destruction of residential houses and looting of shops, forcing hundreds of residents to flee to the bushes and hill tops.
A military update said the bombing campaign followed intelligence reports that the recent attacks on the two states originated from terrorists occupying the “s” region in the heart of the Sambisa Forest.
The update, signed by the Coordinator of the Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Major General John Enenche, said: “The air interdiction missions being conducted by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole have continued to deal decisive blows on terrorist elements in the North-east of the country.
“The latest of these was achieved yesterday at the ‘S’ region in the heart of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State. “The air strike, which was executed employing a force package of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets, was carried out after series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions revealed that the terrorists responsible for recent attacks in the southern part of Borno and northern part of Adamawa State had originated from the location.
“Accordingly, the NAF attack aircraft engaged the target area in successive passes, leading to the destruction of some of their structures and logistics stores, including a suspected anti-aircraft gun station as the terrorists fired at the NAF aircraft.
Several insurgents were also neutralised in the process.”
Kingsley Nwezeh
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