Successful Air Strikes Neutralize Boko Haram Leader, Others in Borno
In a significant victory against insurgency, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai has successfully eliminated a key Boko Haram terrorist leader, Abu Asad, along with several others.
The airstrikes targeted their hideout at Tagoshe in the Mandara Mountains in Borno, as announced by Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the Director of Public Relations and Information for the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.
The operation, conducted on Friday, was hailed by Gabkwet as one of the most successful strikes recently undertaken by the air component of Operation Hadin Kai. Intelligence revealed a concentration of terrorists in an isolated location, comprising three zinc structures amid numerous trees.
According to Gabkwet, footage from the mission indicated that the terrorists were amassing at the location for either a well-planned meeting or preparing for a major attack on troops. Over 100 heavily armed terrorists were observed engaging in banter and moving randomly around the structures, which also housed four troop carriers.
“The aftermath of the air strike revealed that two out of the three structures, as well as the entire troop carriers, were destroyed. There are also indications that Abu Asad, a key figure in the Ali Ngulde group under Boko Haram, along with other terrorists like Ibrahim Nakeeb, Mujaheed Dimtu, Mustafa Munzir, and several fighters, were among those eliminated in the air strike,” Gabkwet reported.
Commending the Air Component Commander and his team, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, acknowledged the success of the operation. He urged continued collaboration with the Land Component while maintaining momentum in keeping the terrorists on their toes.
Abubakar emphasized the importance of justifying the trust and confidence bestowed upon them by the Federal Government and the people of Nigeria. “You must ensure that we go all out in making life unbearable for these terrorists and criminals until they surrender or are completely eliminated,” he urged.
