Insurgency: Fighter Jets Bombard ISWAP Fighters, Gun Trucks

In a joint operation with ground troops, Nigerian Air Force fighter jets yesterday struck gun trucks belonging to the Islamic State for West African Province (ISWAP) in Malam Fatori, Borno State.

Relying on intelligence reports, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole and troops of 89 and 97 Task Force Battalions of Sector 3 launched an offensive against the terrorists killing many insurgents at Mallam Fatori on the fringes of the Lake Chad in the Northern part of Borno State. An update on the war against insurgency issued by NAF Spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said sustained bombardment forced the terrorists to flee.

“The routing of the terrorists was sequel to the receipt of intelligence reports on the movement of ISWAP fighters in some gun trucks towards the troops’ location in Malam Fatori.

“In response, the ATF immediately scrambled two Nigerian Air Force (NAF) attack aircraft to provide Close Air Support (CAS)”, it said.

The NAF update disclosed that Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform provided enhanced situational awareness for the ground troops as they engaged the terrorists.

“The combined sustained, intensive fire rained on the terrorists, from the air and on the ground, caused them to beat a hasty retreat.

“This was however not before two of their gun trucks were destroyed. The attack platforms also tracked the fleeing terrorists, further immobilising two additional gun trucks and neutralising a few of the fighters as they attempted to escape”, it said.

Air Commodore Daramola maintained that NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, would sustain its efforts to completely destroy all remnants of the terrorists in the North-east.