Air Force strikes destroy Boko Haram facilities

The Nigerian Air Force has carried attacks and destroyed facilities and equipment belonging to Boko Haram fighters.

The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE successfully hit the facilities and equipment at Alafa Yagayaga in Sambisa Forest as well as ammunition depot in Kusuma on the fringes of Lake Chad, Borno.

Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, said in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

He said that the air strikes was in continuation of Operation Thunder Strike  2, which commenced on September 3.

“The air strikes against BHTs at Alafa Yagayaga were targeted at structures within the settlement that had been identified via previous Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions to be rendezvous (RV) points for the insurgents.

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“Consequently, a combination of NAF fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships were detailed to carry out air interdiction on the locations, while the NAF ISR aircraft conducted Battle Damage Assessment (BDA).

“The attack platforms acquired the targets and took turns to attack the location, destroying the structures and killing most of the BHTs in the process.

“The few surviving BHTs, seen fleeing the area, were strafed and neutralised by the helicopter gunships,” he said.

Daramola said that the attack at Kusuma was initiated following credible intelligence indicating the presence of a BHT logistics/ammunition depot within the settlement.

“Accordingly, the ATF detailed a fighter aircraft to attack the insurgents’ position, while the NAF ISR aircraft conducted BDA,” he said.

He explained that at end of the attacks, the BDA revealed a direct hit on the ammunition depot, which was engulfed in fire , while some other adjoining BHT structures were equally destroyed and the occupying terrorists neutralised.