by Nurat Uthman
Airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets have killed several terrorists near Degbewa and Chinene in Borno State.
The airstrikes also destroyed several terrorists’ structures in the two terrorist hideouts in the Mandara mountain.
NAF spokesperson, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet announced this in a statement on Thursday, July 4. He said the airstrikes were conducted on July 3.
The air interdiction came five days after suicide attacks killed 32 people and injured 52 others in Gwoza in Borno State.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) had vowed its troops would ‘stop at nothing’ to take out the terrorists responsible for the attacks.
Gabkwet said the air strikes became expedient after several days of aerial surveillance over Chinene and Degbewa that revealed “a consistent gathering of a large number of terrorists in the area also suspected to be sites for manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Devices and storage area.”
He said: “The terrorists were also observed to be loitering within the vicinity, clearly oblivious of what was to befall them, and probably confident that their location was safe and secured from any form of military bombardments.
“The airstrikes were thus authorized with the aircraft bombarding the locations in several passes until the majority of the terrorists were eliminated. Others observed fleeing the location were taken out using canons.”
