Army neutralizes Boko Haram Terrorists in new airstrikes

Following airstrikes conducted on Tuesday in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has neutralized several Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) and some structures in their camp at Abulam have been destroyed.

The mission according to the Air Force spokesperson, Air commodore Ibikunle Daramola, was executed to mark the commencement of Operation RATTLESNAKE 2, an Air Interdiction Operation aimed at taking out some identified insurgent camps and logistics facilities in order to further unhinge the terrorists’ centre of gravity and diminish their fighting capability.

He added that Abullam was selected for an attack on ‘Day One’ of the Operation based on credible intelligence reports indicating that the terrorists had resumed using the once-abandoned settlement as a staging point from where they launch attacks against Army ground troops’ locations.

“Accordingly, the ATF detailed its attack aircraft, supported by an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, to attack designated compounds within the settlement.”

The jets he adds “took turns to engage the target in successive passes leading to the destruction of some of the structures as well as the killing of several terrorists.”

It will be recalled that December 2019, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) planned and executed the highly successful Operation RATTLESNAKE  and Operation RATTLESNAKE 2 to consolidate the gains of the earlier operation and shape the battlespace for further air and ground operations.