TheCable

At least 22 insurgents have been reported killed in airstrike operations by the air component of operation Hadin Kai in Borno.

In a statement on Monday, Edward Gabkwet, NAF’s public relations and information director, said the terrorists were killed on Sunday at an enclave while trying to dodge the troops from being tracked.

Gabkwet said the airstrikes followed intelligence received from the NAF’s land component that about 22 terrorists were sighted in a gun truck and two motorcycles near Marte.

He said the NAF jets were immediately dispatched to interdict the location.

The NAF spokesperson added that after scanning the area, the terrorists were sighted about 22 kilometres west of Marte and moving northwards towards Munguno.

“After trailing the terrorists for about 70 minutes, the terrorists in the gun truck and two motorcycles stopped underneath a tree, probably to refuel or evade being seen,” NAN quoted Gabkwet as saying.

“The targets were subsequently engaged with a huge ball of fire engulfing the area observed afterwards, destroying the gun struck and motorcycles with no sign of movement observed afterwards.

“The huge explosion could be indicative that the point where the terrorists hid was likely a logistics base or their vehicle was conveying weapons or explosive ordinances.”

The NAF spokesman said the failed strategies adopted by terrorists to evade detection were indicative of their inability to hold ground and pose significant threats to military formations or pick on soft civilian targets at will.

He said the terrorists had continued to exhibit desperation and weakness through their conduct.

Gabkwet said Babagana Zulum, governor of Borno, had said the security situation in the state had improved by more than 85 percent while economic activities had picked up.

This, according to Zulum, attests to the successes of the efforts employed by the troops and other security agencies.