MAIDUGURI — More than 50 suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters have been neutralized in a series of precision air strikes conducted by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Borno State.
The aerial bombardment followed a failed assault by the insurgents on military positions in the Ngoshe community, located within the Gwoza Local Government Area.
Failed Night Raid
According to military sources and reports from Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the terrorists launched a “hit-and-run” attack on troop locations at approximately 7:30 pm on Tuesday, March 3.
The insurgents were said to have engaged the troops briefly before withdrawing into the surrounding bush to avoid a ground confrontation with arriving military reinforcements.
Aerial Interdiction
Acting on intelligence regarding the withdrawal route of the fleeing fighters, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai deployed platforms to track and intercept the group.
“The strikes were carried out after the insurgents withdrew from the failed attack,” a military source confirmed. “The precision of the coordinates led to the neutralization of over 50 terrorists who were regrouping in a nearby hideout.”
Mopping Up Operations
Ground troops, supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), moved into the area on Wednesday morning for a battle damage assessment. Sources in Gwoza confirmed that the air strikes destroyed several gun trucks and motorcycles used by the insurgents during the initial raid.
This latest success comes as the military intensifies its dry-season offensive to clear remnants of terror cells from the Mandara Mountains and the fringes of the Sambisa Forest.
