By Gimba Kakanda
The Nigerian Air Force on Wednesday released a declassified video showing massive bombardment of Boko Haram hideouts in Sambisa forests.
It said the operation was led by their component of Operation Lafiya Dole, after an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR mission over Parisu in the Sambisa general area.
In a statement by NAF spokesman, Olatokunbo Adesanya, “a large group of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) was seen converging under a tree close to a prominent zinc-roofed structure” during the raid.
“Part of the structure was concealed by the foliage of a tree, making it a seemingly unobtrusive gathering point for the terrorists.
“A confirmatory ISR mission indicated that the structure was indeed a BHT hideout, housing a large number of terrorists.
“Accordingly, on 8 August 2017, the Air Component detailed fighter aircraft to strike the target in succession,” Mr Adesanya, an air commodore, said.
The victory followed a frequent spate of killings and bombing by the terrorist in the past few weeks.
The attacks have undermined the presence of the Nigerian troops, resulting in widely publicised killings and ambushes.
In late July, an Oil prospecting team was ambushed by the terrorists in Magumeri area of Borno State, which led to death of tens of people, including scientists and specialists from the University of Maiduguri and Nigerian National Petroleum Commission.
The attack on Oil prospectors was followed by two separate attacks on fishermen in the Lake Chad region this week. About 31 fishermen were killed, reported AFP, quoting a member of local militia fighting the terrorists.
The series of attack underscored the threat of terrorist group, which was described as “technically defeated” by President Muhammadu Buhari in December, 2015.
Praising the operation, Mr Adesanya reassured Nigerians of NAF’s commitment to terminating the group.
“Subsequent Battle Damage Assessment revealed that the BHT hideout was completely reduced to rubble and several BHTs were killed while a few of them were seen evacuating the casualties,” he added.
Video link: https://youtu.be/eNAlwF-TYx4
