Nigerian Air Force claims it has destroyed Boko Haram's fuel dump and logistics base

MILITARY commanders have claimed that the Nigerian Air Force (Naf) has bombed Boko Haram's fuel dump and logistics base in Borno State thus severely hampering its ability to carry out further operations.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has been waging a war against Nigeria and at one point in time controlled large swathes of Borno State but over recent years, the army has pushed the sect back into a small enclave around the Sambisa Forest. despite this, Boko Haram is still getting supplies and retains the capability to carry out sporadic attacks, carrying out raids on towns and villages.

Yesterday, the Naf high command said the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole has destroyed a Boko Haram logistics base, along with some vehicles at Tumbun Sale in northern Borno State. Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the Naf  director of public relations and information, said the operation was carried out on Tuesday.

Commodore Daramola said: “The operation was conducted on October 23 after intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions revealed the presence of some Boko Haram vehicles and several fighters camouflaged under thick vegetation within the area, where they had converged in order to launch attacks against own troops’ positions. Accordingly, the ATF scrambled two Naf Alpha Jet aircraft, supported by an ISR platform, to attack the target area in multiple waves."

He added that the first wave of attacks recorded direct hits on a suspected Boko Haram ammunition/fuel dump, sending it up in flames. Commodore Daramola said that subsequent air strikes also resulted in the destruction of some vehicles and killing of several Boko Haram terrorists, adding that the few survivors were seen fleeing the area, were mopped-up in follow-up attacks.

Furthermore, Commodore Daramola said that working in concert with land forces, the Naf would sustain the tempo of operations with a view to destroying all remnants of the terrorists on the fringes of Lake Chad and other areas in northern Borno State.