Chief of Air Staff Hassan Abubakar has hailed the troops of the Joint Task Force in the North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, for their sacrifices towards ensuring peace and security in Nigeria.

Mr Abubakar gave the commendation on Wednesday during a visit to the frontline troops, where he feasted with them at a combined Eid-el-Kabir celebration in Maiduguri.

Nigerian Air Force spokesman Ayodele Famuyiwa disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Addressing the troops, the air chief commended the troops and their families, particularly the dead and the wounded, for their sacrifices towards restoring peace and security to the country.

He attributed the recent operational successes to the combined efforts of the air and surface forces which, he said, would not have been possible without the troops’ selflessness, sacrifices and devotion.

According to him, their high level of effectiveness and efficiency in the frontline while away from their loved ones during festive seasons demonstrated the troops’ nobility in placing service before self.

Mr Abubakar expressed appreciation to the families of the troops for providing the much-needed support required to maintain the motivation and morale of the troops on the frontline.

He said the high synergy among the services and other security agencies had been largely responsible for the recent successful outcomes recorded across the various theatres of operations in the country.

The NAF boss praised them for the huge successes achieved by the NAF’s independent air operations, particularly Operation WARUN, and the joint efforts through Operation Hadin Kai and combined multinational operations.

He said the success had led to the insurgents and their families surrendering in droves to the military.

Mr Abubakar said his visit to the theatre along with the Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, to celebrate with the troops, indicated the enhanced synergy about to be infused into future operations.

He urged the troops to ensure that the synergy cascaded down to the tactical level of operations through proper coordination, collaboration and cooperation in future efforts.

(NAN)