By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai on Sunday, eliminated 22 terrorists in air strikes at their identified terrorists’ hideouts and enclaves in Borno.

The Director of Public Relations and Information of NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Gabkwet said the air strikes were sequel to intelligence received from the Land Component that about 22 terrorists in a gun truck and two motorcycles were sighted near Marte.

He said that the NAF aircraft were immediately dispatched to interdict the location.

According to him, after scanning the area, the terrorists were sighted at about 22 km west of Marte and moving northwards towards Munguno.

“After trailing the terrorists for about 70 minutes, the terrorists in the gun truck and two motorcycles stopped underneath a tree, probably to refuel or evade being seen.

“The targets were subsequently engaged with a huge ball of fire engulfing the area observed afterward, destroying the gun struck and motorcycles with no sign of movement observed afterward.

“The huge explosion could be indicative that the point where the terrorists hid was likely a logistics base or their vehicle was conveying weapons or explosive ordinances.”

The NAF spokesman said that the failed strategies adopted by terrorists to evade detection and the fire power of the land and air components by moving from one point to another was indicative of their inability to hold ground and pose significant threats to military formations or pick on soft civilian targets at will.

He noted that the terrorists had continued to exhibit desperation and weakness through their conduct.

Gabkwet said that Gov. Babagana Zulum, had recently acknowledged that the security situation in the state had improved by more than 85 per cent while economic activities had picked up.

This, according to him, attests to the successes of the efforts emplaced by the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies.

He added that the governor had said that as the Chief Security Officer of the state, the government was doing well in terms of security as there had been serious improvement in the security situation in the state and therefore commended the service chiefs for their efforts. (NAN)

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