By Alex Olise
Another breakthrough was recorded by the military today as the Nigerian Air Force said it has successfully destroyed some Boko Haram vehicles found in the Lake Chad region.
The Director of Information Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshall Olatokunbo Adesanya, who confirmed this in a statement issued today in Abuja said the operation was carried out on April 13 by the Air Task Force as part of the Operation Lafiya Dole.
“Earlier on, a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft had discovered Boko Haram activities, with some vehicles mounted with guns moving within the location.
“Accordingly, the ATF detailed NAF Mi-35M Helicopter gunships to conduct Air Interdiction strikes to take out the targets.
“Overhead the location, the attack platform acquired, interdicted and neutralised the targets with rockets and cannons.
“The subsequent Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) revealed that at the end of the attack, a Boko Haram gun truck, with its entire occupants, was completely destroyed and engulfed in fire,” he said.
Adesanya said that another terrorists’ vehicle was damaged and immobilised as a result of the attack, while several insurgents were killed in the process.
“The NAF continues to provide adequate air support through the ATF of Operation Lafiya Dole by conducting a range of air operations to create the necessary environment for ground operations to continue apace,” he said.