The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai has eliminated 27 suspected terrorists in a series of precision airstrikes targeting insurgent hideouts in Borno State, as the military intensifies operations against armed groups operating within the Lake Chad region.
According to an operational report released by the Nigerian Air Force and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the strikes were carried out following Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions that identified terrorist movements and positions across the theatre of operations.
The report stated that the first mission was conducted at about 12:40 a.m. on June 10 at Dawoshe, a known terrorist enclave in the Southern Tumbus area. Air assets, including Dragon strike platforms and ISR aircraft, were deployed after aerial surveillance detected the movement of terrorist vehicles within the location.
The vehicles were subsequently engaged in a targeted airstrike, resulting in their destruction.
“Battle Damage Assessment revealed that the vehicles were destroyed, while 12 terrorists were neutralized during the operation,” the report said.
In a separate operation carried out the same day, the Air Component launched a precision strike on terrorist positions in Metele, located in the Northern Tumbus area of Guzamala Local Government Area.
According to the report, post-strike assessments supported by Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) findings and Human Intelligence (HUMINT) sources confirmed that 15 terrorists were killed during the operation.
Military authorities said the successful missions dealt a significant blow to terrorist elements operating within the Lake Chad fringes and the notorious Tumbus hideouts, which have long served as staging grounds for insurgent activities in the North-East.
The operations, the report noted, form part of ongoing efforts to degrade terrorist capabilities, disrupt logistics networks and deny insurgents freedom of movement across the region.
With the latest operations, a total of 27 terrorists were neutralized in the two coordinated air interdiction missions.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining offensive operations against terrorist strongholds and restoring lasting peace and security across the North-East.
Source: NAN
