The Nigerian Military says its Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has killed several Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) elements and destroyed their hideouts and logistics in Nigeria’s Northern region.
The Military said the operation took place at 1Km North of Tumbun Gini on the fringes of Lake Chad in Borno State through air strikes executed after series of aerial surveillance missions.
John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations (DMO), who disclosed this in Abuja, said the aerial surveillance indicated that the location, with structures and logistics items camouflaged under the dense vegetation, was being used as staging area where some ISWAP leaders and their fighters meet to plan and launch attacks.
“Accordingly, the ATF dispatched a force package of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships to attack the location in successive passes.
“The attack aircraft scored devastating hits in the target area, destroying some structures and neutralizing several of the ISWAP fighters while some survivors were seen fleeing the scene. Consequently, the fleeing ISWAP survivors were hit by second rockets and subsequently moped up”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator had at a recent media briefing disclosed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, in addition to the kinetic operations, carried out non-kinetic operations in form of Civil Military Cooperation Activities (CIMIC).
According to him, a total of 92 boreholes were sunk for host communities and 16 schools and worship centres were renovated across the Country, while 16 clinics and dispensaries were constructed and donated, including buses to host communities.
Enenche added that the Armed Forces of Nigeria constructed roads, installed transformers and solar power equipment in some host communities.
“The military also fostered several stakeholders and reconciliation meetings between hostile communities and carried out medical outreaches”, he said.
