Boko Haram Commanders wiped out during leadership meeting inside Sambisa Forest

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has wiped out some leaders and junior commanders of Boko Haram who gathered for a leadership meeting in Sambisa Forest. They were neutralised by a precision strike which led to the killing of several Boko Haram terrorists, Deputy Theatre Commander Air of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, said yesterday.

He said the devastating air strike took place on December 25 last year and was part of a sustained aerial bombardment of Sambisda Forest with over 280 operational sorties conducted against Boko Haram targets in the area in the last over one month.

AVM Amao made the disclosure at a media briefing in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State. He stated that the air strikes and bombardments were conducted by the Air Component of the Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East.

AVM Amao said that the ongoing and sustained air operations and surveillance within the Theater of operation in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states were intensified between December 2015 and January 2016 towards ending the Boko Haram menace.

He said: “In continuation of the counter insurgency, the air component in the last one month conducted 286 operational sorties against terrorists’ targets from 25 December to date in the Sambisa Forest covering an area of 157,000km2 which is equivalent to the total land mass of South Korea, Portugal and Togo in a total of 536 hours, 21 minutes were flown by various platforms engaged in the operations,

“This translates into 316,637.5 litres of aviation fuel which amounts to N60.3 million, excluding the cost of maintenance and armament expended.”

AVM Amao said that there was also a significant strike conducted on January 17, 2016 following intelligence report on the location of a High Value Terrorist (Boko Haram HVT) leader taking refuge at a location South of Arra village in the Sambisa Forest, where air strikes neutralised the target.

He added that some areas of the successful airstrikes conducted to include Gadzama, Ngwalimiri, Dure and Dure Takwalla, Ajigin, Bitta, Gulumba Gana, Sigel, Damasak and Kumshe communities now occupied by insurgents.

He named other areas that came under strike include Yajiwa, Asaga, Tumbun Gini and Mada towns, amongst others. He equally spoke about medical evacuation missions which were carried out at Marte Local Government area and Banki town of Borno State on January 21 this year.

The Deputy Theater Commander Air Operation maintained that the Nigerian Air Force through its Component in Operation Lafiya Dole is focused on sustaining air operations and providing support to ground troops of the Armed Forces’ strive to rid Nigeria of the Boko Haram insurgency.

AVM Amao further said that all the areas struck were thoroughly monitored on intelligence surveillance and eye services before the attacks or shelling. He said that most of the targets included Boko Haram fuel pump storages, Solar Panels, meeting points and hideouts in the Sambisa Forest.

•Photo shows a NAF Alpha Jet on a Boko Haram mission.

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