The Nigerian Air force(NAF), said airstrike conducted by its Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, in the Tumbuns area near Lake Chad, has killed scores of terrorists and destroyed their logistics bases. NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshall Edward Gabkwet, who made this known, said the operation was successfully executed following intelligence that the terrorists had relocated to higher and drier ground after their hideouts were flooded and exposed by the persistent rainfall in recent days.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
He said an intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions conducted in the area between August 22-26, 2024 by the NAF, revealed several terrorists with some of their salvaged belongings tucked within four makeshift accommodations and some concealed under trees and thick vegetation.
The statement reads; “In a major blow to remnants of terrorists hiding in the Tumbuns near Lake Chad, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai successfully conducted an air interdiction mission at Jubillaram, in southern Tumbuns. The operation was made possible following the forced migration of remnant terrorists to higher and drier grounds after their enclaves became flooded and exposed due to persistent rainfall in the area in recent days. To confirm this, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) conducted Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the location on 22, 24, and 26 August 2024, which revealed several terrorists with some of their salvaged belongings tucked within four makeshift accommodations, some concealed under trees and thick vegetation.
Consequently, precision airstrikes were authorized on the selected target areas, engaging and destroying most of the structures. A thick black smoke from one of the destroyed structures signified a storage area, probably designated as an armoury or a logistics storage area. Several terrorists were also neutralized in the process.
The success of this operation is a testament to the NAF’s commitment to achieving its mandate and protecting the nation from terrorist threats. The excess rainfall and swampy terrain may have inadvertently pushed the terrorists out of hiding, but it was the swift and decisive action of the NAF that took advantage of the situation to strike a significant blow against them. It is also important to note that striking at the heart of terrorists’ enclaves in Maiduguri goes a long way in destabilizing their Center of Gravity and diminishing their capacity to cause mayhem, especially on civilian targets. These enclaves also serve as feeders to other terrorist cells operating within the region.
Recall also that barely 3 days ago, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, instructed all Air Component Commanders to intensify operations against terrorists and other criminal elements in the country. The strike at Jubillaram and other locations across the country are confirmations that the directives are yielding the required outcome.
