More than a hundred terrorists, including several of their leaders, have been reportedly killed in an attack conducted by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Borno State.
NAF Director of Public Relations Edward Gabkwet released a statement yesterday confirming the airstrike.
According to him, Operation Hadin Kai’s air force carried out the operation in the village of Mantari in the Bama Local Government Area.
Terrorist leaders Khalid Tukur, Maimusari, and Bakura Jega, were reportedly among those killed in the airstrike, according to a spokesperson for the air force.
He explained that intelligence indicated that Ikirima, a known leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, had just come to the area around Mantari village with his gun trucks and was joined by other terrorists on motorbikes from different places.
As a result, permission was given to launch an airstrike, which destroyed several terrorist facilities and killed many terrorists.
Some of the terrorists who managed to escape the initial airstrikes returned to the area to remove the remains of their fallen comrades.
Over 100 terrorists were reportedly killed, and dozens more were reported to be in serious condition; thus, the statement added that this opened the door for a second hit on the same facility, which was also proven to be quite successful.
According to Gabkwet, ISWAP and Boko Haram groups have finalised preparations to resume hostilities after the Yuletide and the upcoming general election.
Successful air attacks, he claimed, had diminished the terrorists’ desire to regroup and attack innocent residents, all thanks to timely intelligence on their plans, particularly their attempt to hit soft targets in Bama.
An increase in terrorist campaigns in the Northeast has been greatly restrained, Gabkwet said, “there is no doubt that the progress and gains being made, especially by the air and ground troops.”
Both air and ground forces have been “cautioned on the need to remain focused on the end state,” as an Air Force official put it.