BEVERLY HILLS, February 02, (THEWILL) – Ayodele Famuyiwa, spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, on Tuesday, revealed that the Nigeria air force Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has destroyed a logistics base of the Boko Haram insurgents.
“The UAV was on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission when it came across the gathering of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) at Garin Moloma, about one kilometre north of the Sambisa forest,” Famuyiwa said.
“At the time of the UAV attack, the location, though under surveillance for quite a while, had a large gathering of BHTs and vehicles. The multiple explosions and huge fire ball from the location, as can be seen from the enclosed video of the UAV strike, strongly suggests that it may be either an ammunition/fuel storage or weapons/technical workshop.”
“This strike is thus a major setback for the Boko Haram Sect, and a major plus for the fight against insurgency by own troops.”
In the same vein, the military claimed that it averted what could otherwise have been a major disaster in troubled Maiduguri as two suicide bombers were intercepted few kilometers into the town.
It also revealed that it the military had killed 56 suspected Boko Haram members in part of Borno, during which some weapons were recovered from them a day earlier (on Monday).
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the Media Coordinator of the counter-insurgency force in the North-East (Operation Lafiya Dole), Col. Mustapha Anka said the troops on Tuesday intercepted two suicide bombers trying to infiltrate Maiduguri through Muna Dalti, at about 100 meters ahead of the troops and youth vigilantes’ checkpoint.
“The suicide bombers were halted but refused to stop, in the process the bombers blew themselves up. No causality was recorded on our troops and civilian JTF. The area has been cordoned while aggressive search is going on in the general area,” he said.
On the Monday’s killing of 56 suspected members of the terror group, Anka said: “Equally, troops of 112 Battalion and AHQ Special Group conducted fighting patrols along Gardawaji, Adashe, Mijigine, Manawci, Sigafariya Bula Goma, Mafa, Dikwa and Kala Balge.”
“During the operation troops had contact with Boko Haram terrorists along Boboshe and Mowa Kasuwa, in the process 56 BHT were killed, items recovered include 8 AK-47 rifles, 3 RPG 7 tubes, 1 GPMG, 1 MPGP, 1-60mm motar, 1 grenade, 3 motor bombs.”
“Eighteen (18) motor cycles and vehicles were destroyed. Also, 520 hostages were rescued and brought to IDP Camp in Dikwa.”
Anka went on to list some successes recorded by the troops in the last one week under Operation Lafiya Dole saying that the troops recorded huge successes.
Story by David Oputah
