Thirty-seven Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists killed in airstrikes: Army
The Nigerian Army says the joint troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) killed scores of Boko Haram/Islamic States West African Province (ISWAP) terrorists in recent encounters in Borno.
Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
The army announced that the troops had on Saturday morning observed the movement of six gun trucks within the Sambisa Forest general area, which were subsequently located at a settlement near Yuwe.
It said the trucks later moved to a remote location, where they were joined by other terrorist elements, in what seemed like a convergence for a meeting.
According to the statement, more than 50 Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters were observed to have gathered at the meeting.
“Having clearly identified the terrorists’ hideout, the air component of OPHK immediately dispatched two aircraft to conduct air interdiction on the location. The strikes, which were carried out under cover of darkness, were successful and devastating, as battle damage assessment corroborated by local sources revealed that over 37 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists were neutralised, while several of them reportedly suffered varying degrees of injury,” the army said.
The army also disclosed that the combat aircrew located another set of four gun trucks about six kilometres southwest of Bama as the aircraft retreated to base after the air interdiction.
The aircrew immediately relayed the coordinates of the location of the gun trucks to troops of the land component, and the land forces promptly engaged the location with artillery fire bombardment and killed the insurgents, said the army.
The joint operations conducted by both the air and land components, with the support of other security agencies under OPHK, again underscored the importance of synergy and cooperation in the fight against terrorism and insurgency, added the statement.
“Troops of OPHK remain resolute and unshaken in their effort to bring the insurgents to their knees,” said the army.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Economy
Nigerian Breweries shareholders approve N600 billion capital raise
Mr Hiemstra said that the company also desires to return its business to profitability while creating value for the shareholders.
World
EU to provide another €68 million in aid for Palestinians in Gaza
The EU is also involved in airdropping supplies provided by member states and allies into the sealed-off coastal region.
Anti-Corruption
Yahaya Bello: Court summons EFCC chairman Olukoyede over alleged contempt
Mr Jamil’s order was based on a motion ex-parte filed by Mr Bello through his lawyer, M.S. Yusuf.
Education
Former varsity chancellor calls for mandatory drug tests for lecturers
According to him, it would further sanitise the university system and promote sanctity and academic excellence.
NationWide
FG employing coercive, persuasive measures to tackle illegal mining: Dele Alake
He reiterated that approval for licences would only be given to mining companies that would comply with value addition to mineral resources.
States
Three die in Ondo road crash
He said that two male adults and one female child died in the accident.