Air force: Scores of insurgents neutralised in Borno

The Nigerian air force says the air task force of operation Lafiya Dole has destroyed a Boko Haram vehicle and neutralised scores of the insurgents at Tumbun Rego on the fringes of Lake Chad in Borno.

Ibikunle Daramola, air force director of public relations and information, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

He said: “As Operation THUNDER STRIKE 2 entered the tenth day, Sept. 12, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has recorded significant successes against Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) in air raids conducted at Tumbun Rego on the fringes of Lake Chad in Borno State.

“The attacks were conducted in successive waves, involving Nigerian Air Force (NAF) F-7Ni and Alpha Jet combat aircraft.

“As well as Mi-35M Helicopter Gunships supported by Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms.resulting in the destruction of a BHT vehicle and neutralization of scores of insurgents.

“Characteristic of the insurgents’ tactics, the BHT fighters were initially well camouflaged under foliage and inside abandoned buildings within the settlement.

“However, timely intelligence enabled the ISR platforms to track and locate one of the BHT vehicles as it was entering the settlement.”

Daramola said the vehicle was engaged and destroyed by the attack aircraft.

“Subsequent waves of attack targeted the scores of insurgents that emerged from their hiding places after the attack on the vehicle. These were engaged in turns by the attack aircraft and neutralised,” he said.

In another development, Daramola said the ATF conducted several ISR and close air support missions throughout the night of September 12 and the next morning to aid troops of the 145 Nigerian army battalion in thwarting the Boko Haram attack at Damasak.