The Defence Headquarters says Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole has destroyed a Boko Haram terrorists’ tactical command centre and neutralised some of their fighters at Yuwe in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
Enenche said the operation was in continuation of air interdiction missions being conducted under the subsidiary ‘Operation Long Reach’ to unhinge the leadership of the terrorists group in the North-East,
According to him, the intelligence also established that a prominent compound with solar panel-mounted rooftop and a large tree in the middle with a nearby flag-mounted sentry post was being used by the BHTs to coordinate their operations in the area.
“Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets dispatched by the ATF to take out the Command Centre took turns in attacking the location scoring accurate hits,”he said.
This led to the destruction of the centre and surroundings as well as the neutralisation of several fighters.
“The Defence Headquarters equally urged them to intensify the air offensive against the terrorists and all other criminal elements in the country,” he said.
“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, commended the ATF for their dedication and professionalism.
He however noted that the operation was executed on June 17 after series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions observed significant presence of the terrorists in the settlement.