Mr Gabkwet described the forum as the first of its kind in the NAF at the strategic level.
“The incident was not intentional. It was a mistake that happened during an operation targeting criminal elements in the area on a quite calculated plan,” Mr Aneke said.
He urged the troops to intensify ongoing efforts to safeguard lives and property.
While paying tribute to NAF’s fallen heroes, the air force chief said the milestone was a reminder of their sacrifices, courage and commitment.
He said NAF received a tip-off about the terrorists hibernating at Dandunu after rustling cattle from communities around the Kuchi-Kapana axis in Niger.
“These strikes, along with others before now, have no doubt disrupted terrorist activities in the area,” he said.
NAF spokesperson Edward Gabkwet said terrorists had been observed to be emanating from various locations and assembling ostensibly for a meeting.
Mr Gabkwet said the strikes have substantially weakened the potency of terrorist elements in the Northwest and oil thieves in the Niger Delta regions.
Mr Gabkwet said the accident, which occurred at about 3.5 nautical miles from Kaduna Military Airfield, involved two pilots returning from a routine training flight.
The Nigerian Air Force has announced its MI-35P helicopter crashed in Port Harcourt shortly after taking off.
