The Nigerian Air Force has reportedly killed 20 suspected commanders and members of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) at Bukar Meram, and Dole, in Borno State, during an airstrike.
The Defence Headquarters said troops of Operation Hail Storm, the air component of Operation Lafiya Dole carried out the operations on Monday at the fringes of the Lake Chad region where the terrorists including some of their leaders were killed.
The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Wednesday, explained that the airstrike destroyed Bukar Meram, a logistics hub of ISWAP leaders.
The statement was titled, ‘Operation Hail Storm: Air Task Force clears ISWAP leaders and logistics facilities at Bukar Meram, neutralises fighters at Dole in Borno State.’
It said, “In continuation of airstrikes being conducted under subsidiary Operation Hail Storm, the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole has successfully neutralised some ISWAP commanders and knocked out logistics facilities at Bukar Meram on the fringes of the Lake Chad in Borno State, while also neutralising several terrorists at Dole, a settlement in the Southern part of Borno State.”
It noted that the air interdiction missions were executed on August 17, on the heels of credible intelligence reports indicating a resurgence of terrorists’ activities in the two settlements.
Enenche said Bukar Meram, a major ISWAP logistics hub linking other island settlements of the Lake Chad, which also housed several of their fighters and some of their key leaders, was attacked by “an enhanced force package of Nigerian Air Force fighter jets and helicopter gunships which hit designated targets in the area leading to the destruction of the logistics facilities and neutralization of several of the terrorists and their leaders.”
He added, “The attack at Dole was carried out after Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions showed a buildup of activities in the area after the relocation of some terrorists from nearby settlements of Kokiwa and Yale.
“Over the area, the ISR aircraft spotted no fewer than 20 terrorists in the area, which were taken out by the NAF attack aircraft.”
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