By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has intensified its counterterrorism campaign in the North-East, carrying out coordinated airstrikes on suspected terrorist hideouts in Borno and Adamawa states.
The air operations, conducted on May 19, targeted Bukar Meram in the Southern Tumbuns area and Chikide in the Mandara Mountains under the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai.
NAF said the strikes followed credible intelligence and confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR, missions which identified logistics hubs, structures and assembly points allegedly used by terrorists.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said several terrorists were neutralised during the raids, while planned attacks were successfully foiled.
According to the statement, the strikes also destroyed logistics facilities and operational structures belonging to insurgents in the affected areas.
“The operations were executed based on actionable intelligence and ISR missions that confirmed the presence of terrorist infrastructure concealed within the targeted locations,” the statement read in part.
Reacting to the development, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, reiterated the Force’s resolve to sustain joint military operations aimed at restoring peace and stability across the country.
He stated that intelligence-led air offensives would continue to target terrorist hideouts, logistics networks and operational bases in troubled regions.
Aneke added that the Nigerian Air Force would sustain pressure on terrorist groups until lasting peace is achieved in the North-East.
