The Nigerian Air Force says it has stepped up its air campaign under Operation Hadin Kai, destroying a top terrorist enclave in Kangarwa, in the Northern Tumbuns area of Borno State.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the strike was carried out at about 12:05 pm on April 1 by the Air Component of the Joint Task Force North East, following credible intelligence and sustained surveillance.
According to Ejodame, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions had placed the settlement under close watch, stressing heightened activity and movement consistent with terrorist operations.
Once the targets were confirmed, NAF aircraft conducted precision attack runs on structures and concealed locations used by the insurgents.
He said the strikes destroyed key infrastructure, including logistics hubs and operational shelters, and massively degraded the enclave’s capacity to operate.
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“Scores of fighters were neutralised during the bombardment, disrupting insurgent movement and weakening their presence in the area,” the statement said.
The statement added that the operation was expected to pave the way for ground troops to advance and conduct follow-on clearance operations.
Furthermore, the air force said the enclave was believed to be a stronghold of the Islamic State West Africa Province, whose command and support structures were dealt a huge blow.
Ejodame explained that the operation uncovered growing coordination between air and ground forces in the North-East counter-insurgency campaign.
The Chief of the Air Staff, Sunday Aneke, reaffirmed the NAF’s commitment to intelligence-led precision strikes, saying air operations would continue in close cooperation with surface forces to deny terrorists freedom of action and restore lasting security in the region.
NAN