Nigeria - The Forefront Media Org has learnt that over 33 Boko Haram targets have been attacked by the air component of Operation LAFIYA DOLE with about 1,700 flight hours recorded in the past four months, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has said.
It said the no meam feats were recorded 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, stated NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI) Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola.
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, The Nation reports.
Daramola in a statement on Wednesday said 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 ongoing joint subsidiary operation, codenamed Operation KANTANA JIMLAN,” he said.
The CAS who was also in Maiduguri to inaugurate newly built operations centre and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers’ (SNCOs) accommodation expressed delight on the successes recorded including the naturalisation of several top BHTs and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) leaders as well as the destruction of their camps, facilities, Daramola said.
Daramola said Abubakar noted that the security challenges facing the nation were obstacles to the country’s developmental aspirations that could only be surmounted through collective efforts, adding that the NAF, through the ATF, had continued to perform very critical roles in providing the much needed air support required for ground operations.
He said the service was constantly evolving strategies that would enable the service to adequately project air power to effectively and efficiently deal with prevalent security threats, and also ensure that personnel welfare was given utmost priority.
Assuring them the NAF would continue to address accommodation needs to ensure all airmen posted to Maiduguri were properly quartered, the CAS, according to Daramola, explained that more blocks of accommodation were being built to pave way for the deployment of additional personnel to boost the Counter Insurgency (COIN) operations.
“I urge you not to relent as we have to continue fighting until the insurgents are completely eliminated. It is our professional duty to protect Nigeria from the menace of insurgency. Your efforts and sacrifices, both individually and collectively, are highly appreciated. Thus, I reassure you of continuous provision for the effective discharge of your duties,” Daramola quoted.
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