DHQ dismisses resurgence of Boko Haram

The Defence Headquarters yesterday said the Nigerian Army has adopted new tactics to draw out Boko Haram fighters.

Defence spokesman, Major General John Enenche, at a news conference in Abuja yesterday said what appeared to be a resurgence of the sect members in the North-east was unrealistic.

He said for national interest and to allay fears among members of the public, what the army is doing is, “drawing out enemy fire.”

“That is what is happening, there are actions that you take to draw out fire...they don’t know this tactics and come out, that would enable us to eliminate them,” he said.

He stressed that the strategy would enable the military wipe them out, adding, “It is not that we have become docile.”

He also said more than the two known Boko Haram factions had split into multiple autonomous groups which act independently without command and control

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force yesterday said it’s fighter jets bombed a Boko Haram artillery gun while they were sneaking into the Sambisa Forest.

Air Force spokesman, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said the artillery piece which was hidden under a tree was sighted by a NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft while on patrol in the Sambisa general area. He added that about seven Boko Haram members were also observed to be moving out from under the tree. He said following an alert, one Alpha Jet and one F-7Ni fighter aircraft were scrambled for air interdiction on the artillery piece.

Adesanya said the Alpha Jet and F-7Ni strikes were observed to have hit the target.

“The Alpha Jet strafed the area with rockets and the general location of the artillery piece was completely engulfed in an inferno. This is a follow-up to other interdiction missions previously carried out in the Sambisa general area and other suspected terrorists’ hideouts,” he said.