The Nigerian Air Force said, on Wednesday night, that its Air Task Team (ATF) attached to Operation Lafiya Dole, in the North-East, killed several Boko Haram terrorists at Abulam in the Sambisa area of Borno State.

NAF, in a statement issued by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said some structures in the terrorists’ camp were also destroyed in airstrikes conducted by troops on Tuesday.

The mission, according to the statement, was executed to mark the commencement of Operation Rattle Snake 2, an Air Interdiction Operation aimed at taking out some identified insurgent camps and logistics facilities in order to further diminish their fighting capability.

The statement read: “Several Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) have been neutralised and some structures in their camp at Abulam in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State have been destroyed in airstrikes conducted yesterday, 31 December 2019, by the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation Lafiya Dole

“The mission was executed to mark the commencement of Operation Rattle Snake 2, an Air Interdiction Operation aimed taking out some identified insurgent camps and logistics facilities in order to further unhinge the terrorists’ centre of gravity and diminish their fighting capability.

“Abullam was selected for the attack on Day One of the Operation based on credible intelligence reports indicating that the terrorists had resumed using the once-abandoned settlement as a staging point from where they launch attacks against own ground troops’ locations.

“Accordingly, the ATF detailed its attack aircraft, supported by an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, to attack designated compounds within the settlement. The jets took turns to engage the target in successive passes leading to the destruction of some of the structures as well as the killing of several terrorists.” (Vanguard)