The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has neutralised scores of Boko Haram terrorists in Koleram town in Borno state.
NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya, who confirmed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja, said the operation was conducted on Monday, adding that the air force also provided Close Air Support (CAS) to ground troops.
“The successful air strike by the NAF Alpha Jet aircraft followed calls from the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 8 Division of the Nigerian Army that troops conducting clearance operations at Koleram had come in contact with the insurgents,” he said.
Adesanya said the GOC requested for support from the NAF, adding that the Alpha Jet aircraft was immediately deployed to provide CAS.
“On arrival over the location, there were exchanges of fire between the terrorists and our ground forces.
“The crew of a NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft established contact with the ground troops and guided the Alpha Jet aircraft crew to the major source of fire from the Boko Haram terrorists, which was seen coming from a particular settlement.
“Consequently, the NAF Alpha Jet aircraft engaged the target with rockets and cannons, thus neutralising the insurgents and destroying their weapons,’’ he said.
The NAF spokesman assured that the Air Task Force would continue to conduct missions on request in support of the efforts of “our troops in the counterinsurgency operations in the North East”.
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