NAF bombards terrorists logistics base in Borno, kill scores

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), said its Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, has killed scores of terrorists in an aerial bombardment targeted at their hideouts in Borno State.

The hideouts located according to NAF Director, Public Relations and Information, AVM Edward Gabkwet, are located near Degbewa and Chinene in the Mandara mountains in the state.

Gabkwet in a statement, said the air strikes became expedient after several days of aerial surveillance which revealed a consistent gathering of a large number of terrorists in the area.

He said the location is also suspected to be the site for manufacturing Improvised Explosive Devices(IED), and a storage area by the terrorists.

The statement reads; “Aerial bombardments carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai in the early hours of 3 July 2024, near Degbewa and Chinene, 2 known terrorists hideout tucked in the Mandara mountains, have led to the elimination of several terrorists and their structures. The air strikes became expedient after several days of aerial surveillance over Chinene and Degbewa , which revealed a consistent gathering of large number of terrorists in the area also suspected to be sites for manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Devices and storage area. The terrorists were also observed to be loitering within the vicinity, clearly oblivious of what was to befall them, and probably confident that their location was safe and secured from any form of military bombardments.

The air strikes were thus authourized with the aircraft bombarding the locations in several passes until majority of the terrorists were eliminated. Others observed fleeing the location were taken out using canons.