By Gift Samuel, The Sight News
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF),has disclosed that, the ongoing Operation THUNDER STRIKE, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, on the second day, successfully conducted air interdiction on a Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) infested location, 13 Nautical Miles North East of Bama.
A Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft had previously observed significant BHT presence in the location. Accordingly, the ATF detailed a combination of fighter aircraft and helicopter gunships to attack the insurgents’ position.
Making the disclosure, the NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, said that overhead the location, the attack platforms took turns to unleash their ordinance on the targets while the NAF ISR aircraft conducted Battle Damage Assessment (BDA).
He further stated that at the end of the attacks, the BDA revealed the target structures to have been destroyed and engulfed in fire, while the occupying terrorists were neutralised.
“Later in the day, in continuation of the Operation, the ATF successfully conducted another attack on a location in Gobara, 15km Northwest of Gwoza. Previous ISR report had indicated that the location served as a hideout for the insurgents.
“Consequently, NAF fighter aircraft were detailed to carry out air interdiction on the location. The fighter jets acquired and took turns to strafe the location, destroying the building and killing most of the BHTs in the process. After the attacks, the BDA revealed that some other adjoining BHT structures and hideouts were equally destroyed” the DOPRI ended.
Operation THUNDER STRIKE which is an independent Air Interdiction by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to attack selected Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) locations in the Northeast, which are currently inaccessible to own troops on account of the onset of the rainy season, commenced on May 14, 2018.
