TheCable

The Nigerian air force (NAF) says it destroyed a major Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) logistics base and training camp at Kusuma on the fringes of Lake Chad in Borno.

Ibikunle Daramola, NAF director of public relations and information, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

Daramola said the operation was executed on Wednesday by the air task-force of Operation Lafiya Dole.

He said many of the insurgents were also killed while fleeing the location of the incident.

“The airstrike was executed after credible intelligence reports had established that a section of the settlement was serving as a training camp for the terrorists,” he said.

“While some buildings within the camp were being used to store their fuel, arms and ammunition as well as other logistics supplies.

“The pre-attack surveillance showed scores of fighters attempting to flee the location upon hearing the sound of the attack aircraft.

“They were engaged by the attack aircraft in successive passes, neutralising many of them.

“The terrorists’ logistics supply store, which was also hit, was seen engulfed in flames due to the raid.

Daramola said NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, would sustain its efforts to completely destroy all remnants of the insurgents in the north-east.

On Wednesday, an abducted aid worker of Action Against Hunger (AAH) was killed by the insurgents.

The insurgents alleged said that they took the action because “the government deceived them” after months of negotiation.