TheCable

The Nigerian air force says its troops have conducted a successful attack on a Boko Haram hideout in Daban Masara, Borno state.

In a statement issued Saturday, Ibikunle Daramola, NAF spokesman, said the operation was carried out by troops of the air task force (ATF) of operation Lafiya Dole.

He said the insurgents were attacked while gathering for a meeting within the area on Friday.

“The surgical air strikes were conducted on the strength of credible intelligence which indicated that remnants of Boko Haram terrorists on the Lake Chad Islands were hiding out in settlements at the southern part of the lake, including Daban Masara, and were amassing in some buildings for a meeting,” the statement read.

“An air interdiction mission was therefore planned and executed to destroy 2 out of the green roofed buildings within Daban Masara that were identified as BHT rendezvous points.

“Upon receiving the intelligence, the ATF dispatched a NAF alpha jet aircraft, along with an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform, to attack the 2 buildings where the BHTs were gathered with bombs.

“Overhead the area of interest, the alpha jet successfully released its bombs on the targets in successive strikes leading to massive destruction of the target buildings as well as the neutralisation of several BHTs.”