BY Abdullahi Isah, MAIDUGURI
In its effort to further decimate and degrade Boko Haram insurgents, the Air component of Operation Lafiya Dole has carried out 286 operational sorties on Sambisa forest killing some top Boko Haram commanders who were at a meeting.
The Deputy Theatre Commander (Air component) of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao who stated this Saturday while briefing newsmen at the Operation’s Media Centre in Maiduguri said “in continuation of the counter insurgency, the air component in the last one month conducted 286 operational sorties against terrorists’ targets from 25 December to date in the Sambisa forest covering an area of 157,000km2 which is equivalent to the total land mass of South Korea, Portugal and Togo.
“ A total of 536 hours 21 minutes were flown by various platforms engaged in the operations, translating into 316,637.5 litres of aviation fuel which amounts to N60.3 million, excluding the cost of maintenance and armament expended”, AVM Amao stated.
The Deputy Theater Commander said notable among the missions was an airstrike on 25 December last year where some terrorists’ leaders and junior commanders, who were gathered for a leadership meeting in Sambisa Forest, were neutralized by a precision strike which led to the killing of several terrorists.
The most significant strike according to Amao was conducted on 17 January following intelligence report on the location of a High Value Terrorist leader taking refuge at a location South of Arra village in the Sambisa Forest, where air strikes neutralized the target.
He also stated that successful airstrikes conducted include at Gadzama, Ngwalimiri, Dure and Dure Takwalla, Ajigin, Bitta, Gulumba Gana, Sigel, Damasak and Kumshe communities.
Other areas according to him, include Yajiwa, Asaga, Tumbun Gini and Mada towns, amongst others, stressing that medical evacuation missions were also carried out at Marte Local Government area and Banki town of Borno state on 21 January this year.
He said that the Nigerian Air Force through its Component in Operation Lafiya Dole is focused and determined in sustaining air operations and providing support to ground troops of the Armed Forces to rid Nigeria of the Boko Haram menace.
