The Defence Headquarters says troops have killed several key leaders of the Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorist groups in Borno State.
Coordinator of Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, confirmed this in a statement on Monday.
According to him, the terrorists were killed and their structures destroyed in air strikes conducted by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole at Durbada.
“The operation was executed on 17 April 2020 on the heels of credible Human Intelligence (HUMINT) reports, which were confirmed by series of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, indicating that the settlement was one of the locations where some of the terrorists’ hierarchy often hibernate.
“Fighter jets dispatched by the Air Task Force took turns in attacking the location, scoring accurate hits within the target area which resulted in the death of some of the terrorists,” the statement said.
Major General Enenche added that others, who were seen attempting to flee the area, were taken out in follow-on attacks.
He noted that the Armed Forces of Nigeria would continue to sustain the offensive against those he described as the enemies of the nation.
The Coordinator of Defence Media Operations explained that this would be done in furtherance of the objective of restoring peace and security in the North East.