War on Terror: Airforce Jets destroy ISWAP Command Staging Areas in Sambisa Forest & Lake Chad; eliminates many terrorists.

Fighter aircraft of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have destroyed an Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) staging area at Gashigar and taken out the terrorists’ hideouts at Tumbun Rego on the fringes of Lake Chad and at Bula Bello near the Sambisa Forest all in Borno State killing many terrorists in the strikes.

Making the disclosure in Abuja on Monday, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, Director, NAF Public Relations and Information said, “This was achieved in air strikes conducted by the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole on 24 and 25 January 2020 on the heels of credible intelligence reports”.

He continued, “The attack on Gashigar was executed on 25 January 2020 after Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions indicated that the location, with its defensive parapets and underground tunnels, was being used by the ISWAP elements as a staging area, where some of their leaders and fighters meet to plan and launch attacks.

“Accordingly, the ATF detailed its fighter aircraft to attack the identified location, destroying the structures, killing several terrorists in the process.

“Similarly, fighter jets were dispatched to attack Tumbun Rego and Bula Bello on 24 January 2020 after ISR aircraft detected significant activities in the 2 settlements.

“The attack aircraft effectively engaged the targeted locations equally destroying terrorist assets and neutralizing several of their combatants.

“In all, scores of terrorists were neutralized in the 3 attacks, including some of their key leaders as later confirmed by Human Intelligence reports.

“The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its air campaign to shape the battle space in the Northeast for the effective conduct of further ground and air operations.”

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