October 28, 2017

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it has intensified day and night aerial bombardments of insurgents’ locations within the North-East region.

The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

According to Adesanya, on Oct. 26, the fourth day of the ongoing Operation ‘RUWAN WUTA II,’ NAF conducted air interdiction on some structures in Dure, insurgents infested location, 12km East of Sambisa.

“Reports from NAF intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms have revealed the gradual resurgence of insurgent activities in the settlement, particularly at the targeted structures, which were hideouts for the terrorists.

“Five aircraft, namely three Alpha Jets and two F-7Ni, conducted the air interdiction missions.

“The Alpha Jet aircraft and the F-Ni aircraft took turns to attack the location with bombs, destroying the targeted structures and killing the terrorists.

“The Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) conducted after the strikes revealed that some of the structures were razed by the bomb explosions,” he said.

The director added that on the same day, NAF conducted air interdiction missions on insurgents infested settlement in Mangusum.

He said the location was attacked in succession by the aircraft, which dropped bombs destroying structures in the location and sending a few of the surviving insurgents fleeing.

“Thereafter, another Alpha Jet aircraft followed up with rocket and cannon attacks in the target area, strafing the fleeing terrorists in the process.

“Subsequent BDA of the attack indicated some burnt structures and significant casualties inflicted on the insurgents,” he was quoted in the statement.

He said the operation, which was initiated by NAF leadership, as a follow-up to the hugely successful Operation ‘RUWAN WUTA,’ had so far proved to be even more successful.