Boko Haram returns to Sambisa, bombed 108 times - Air Force
- The Nigerian Air Force said the Boko Haram terrorists have returned to the Sambisa forest area of Borno state after its fighter jets had bombed the terrorists’ hideouts 108 times
- The Air Force noted that Intelligence surveillance reported through the second quarter of 2017 indicated a gradual return of the Boko Haram terrorist activities to the Sambisa Forest
- The intelligence surveillance declared that there have been sightings of a few Boko Haram activities in the Sambisa general area particularly in Parisu
The Nigerian Air Force on Thursday, July 27, disclosed that the Boko Haram terrorists have returned to Sambisa Forest area of Borno state.
The Air Force however said that its fighter jets and attack helicopters had bombed the terrorists’ hideouts 108 times between April and July, 2017, Punch reports.
Legit.ng gathered that the Air Component Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, the military operation in the North-East, Air Commodore Tajudeen Yusuf, made this known in Yola, Adamawa state.
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Yusuf who lamented over the escalation of indulgent said their operations are facing problems of thunderstorms and rainfalls.
He further explained that there were many days that flights had to be delayed or cancelled on because of the weather condition.
He stated: “Intelligence surveillance and Reconnaissance reports through the second quarter of 2017 indicated a gradual return of the Boko Haram terrorist activities to the Sambisa Forest. There have been sightings of a few Boko Haram activities in the Sambisa general area, particularly in Parisu.
“Hence, the air component conducted significant ISR missions in the Sambisa general area. On July 3, an air interdiction mission was conducted on Alagarno Camp. Several solar panels were seen on buildings in the location, which indicated that it was being used as a Command and Control facility.
“The NAF conducted air interdiction missions with the F-7Ni, Alpha jets, L-39ZA, Mi-17 and the Mi-35M attack helicopters to neutralise the Boko Haram terrorist targets within the theatre.
“A total of 108 air interdiction sorties were conducted from April to June 2017.”
Also, the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, on Thursday, July 27, regretted that the nation’s troops, fighting the Boko Haram sect, could not dominate the environment in the rainy season like they did during dry season.
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Dan-Ali made this known in Villa, Abuja after meeting with Yemi Osinbajo, the acting President
He said: “We just finished a meeting with the acting President and the three service chiefs. We agreed that they should move back to the Command Centre and see what are the things happening there.
“We have also agreed that we should get more surveillance devices, cameras that will be able to see distant attackers coming to the position of our troops.
“Also, the rainy season is a difficult moment for us. We cannot dominate the environment like what we did during the dry season but effort is geared towards regaining our areas.
“We assure Nigerians that all these ambushes that are happening regularly would be stopped.”
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that nine soldiers lost their lives during a daring mission to rescue oil workers of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) kidnapped by Boko Haram terrorists.
This was confirmed by Brig-Gen. Sani Usman who is the spokesperson of the army on Wednesday, July 26.
Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of the operation of the air force against Boko Haram:
Source: Legit.ng
