NAF Coordinated Airstrikes Hit 33 Boko Haram Targets

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said over 33 Boko Haram targets have been attacked by the air component of Operation Lafiya Dole.

The exploit was achieved upon completion of about 1,700 flight hours recorded in the past four months, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said

NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, disclosed in a statement on Thursday.

Daramola said the feats were achieved in 889 Air Interdiction (AI); Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR); Battle Damage Assessment (BDA); Close Air Support as well as Tactical Airlift missions executed in 1,075 sorties with about 1.6 million litres of Jet A-1 fuel used from January 1 to date.

According to Daramola, the achievements were recorded in line with sustained efforts towards eliminating remnants of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) and other terrorists’ groups in the northeast.

He  noted that the above statistics were given by the Air Task Force’s (ATF) Commander, Air Commodore Precious Amadi while briefing the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, during the CAS’ Operational visit to NAF Base, Maiduguri.

“The Commander noted that the ATF had continued to pursue its mandate of contributing to the total defeat of the BHTs in order to bring peace to the North East. According to him, in the First Quarter of 2020, the ATF had conducted several subsidiary independent operations including Operations RATTLE SNAKE 2 & 3 and Operation DECISIVE EDGE, while also providing effective support for the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and allied partners in order to decimate, dislocate and deny the BHTs freedom of action.

“He further revealed that the ATF, with its sustained aerial bombardments of identified BHT targets, has continued to shape the battlespace to create the enabling environment for the Operation LAFIYA DOLE (OPLD) Land Component to operate more effectively as evidenced by the successes recorded in the operation”