The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it neutralised scores of Boko Haram terrorists in Koleram town in Borno State.
AVM Olatokunbo Adesanya, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, who confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, said the operation was conducted on Monday.
“The successful air strike by the NAF Alpha Jet aircraft followed calls from the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 8 Division of the Nigerian Army that troops conducting clearance operations at Koleram had come in contact with the insurgents.’’
According to him, the NAF also provided Close Air Support (CAS) to ground troops.
Adesanya said the GOC, therefore, requested for support from the NAF, adding that the Alpha Jet aircraft was immediately deployed to provide CAS.
“On arrival over the location, there were exchanges of fire between the terrorists and our ground forces.
“The crew of a NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft established contact with the ground troops and guided the Alpha Jet aircraft crew to the major source of fire from the Boko Haram terrorists, which was seen coming from a particular settlement.
“Consequently, the NAF Alpha Jet aircraft engaged the target with rockets and cannons, thus neutralising the insurgents and destroying their weapons,’’ he said.
The NAF spokesman said the Air Task Force would continue to conduct missions on request in support of the efforts of “our troops in the counterinsurgency operations in the North-East.’’
