By Kingsley Nwezeh
In continuation of its campaign against terrorist enclaves in the North-east, three fighter jets of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Friday pounded a terrorist command and control center at Dusula, Borno State, even as it launched Operation Green Sweep 3 aimed at targeting terrorist positions in the North-east.
The air strikes were conducted following intelligence reports that pointed to the location of the insurgents.
Spokesman of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, who confirmed the strikes in a statement on Saturday, said the fighter jets successfully destroyed the Boko Haram command and control center located in Dusula on the fringes of Sambisa Forest.
“In a renewed offensive aimed at further eliminating remnants of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province Terrorists (BHT/ISWAP) in the Northeast of Nigeria, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has launched Operation Green Sweep 3 which targets some identified terrorists positions in Borno State”, he said.
He said: “in furtherance of the operation, the ATF yesterday, 9 August 2019, successfully destroyed a Boko Haram Terrorist Command and Control Centre at Dusula on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest.
“The operation was executed after series of Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions led to the identification of the command centre with its solar panels, communications equipment and other facilities”.
Air Commodore Daramola said “the three Alpha Jets dispatched by the ATF engaged the location in multiple passes, recording accurate hits on the target area.
“The structures housing the command centre were completely destroyed by the strikes while several of the terrorists were neutralised. The few surviving terrorists, who were seen attempting to flee the area, were taken out by follow on attacks.
“The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its operations against the terrorists in the North-east”.
Meanwhile, in a renewed determination to contain terrorism in the country, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it had continued to ensure that the use of the airspace by its operators, especially in the ongoing fight against insurgency and other forms of criminality in the country, was conducted in accordance with international best practices.
Meanwhile, speaking during the combined graduation ceremony of 47 personnel from Air Traffic Control Assistants/Base Operations and Fire Fighters’ Course 2/2019 weekend at the Air Traffic Services Training Centre (ATSTC) Kaduna, the Commandant ATSTC, Air Vice Marshal Haruna Mohammed, said NAF was making concerted effort towards the continuous development of ATSTC into a hub of excellence in Air Traffic Services (ATS) human capacity development, not only for the benefit of the NAF but indeed for the nation and the world at large.
