BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), has said that in furtherance of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, its fighter jets on November 20, 2017, successfully destroyed a Boko Haram terrorists’ facility for manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
The NAF said the terrorists’ facility, which was in a place known as YIWE Forest, is located 23km south of Konduga in Borno State.
A statement by Director of Public Relations and Information of the NAF, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said previous Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), missions had revealed the location to be a Boko Haram hideout.
Adesanya said it was from there that the Maiduguri suicide bombing of November 18, 2017 was reportedly planned.
According to him; “Available Human Intelligence also revealed that the hideout contained IED-making facility for the insurgents’ suicide bombing attacks.
“Accordingly, one Mi-17 Helicopter, 2 x Alpha Jet and 2 x F-7Ni aircraft were detailed to carry out air interdiction on the target over a 2-day period. Overhead the location, the aircraft took turns to deliver a combination of bombs, rockets and cannons on the target.
“The subsequent Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) revealed that the strikes had destroyed the IED-making facility and other BHT structures, killing an unspecified number of insurgents in the process.
“The air strikes also caused a huge flame within the settlement, owing to the cache of IEDs stored by the BHTs, while a few fleeing insurgents were further strafed with cannons and rockets.”
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