The Defence Headquarters(DHQ), said soldiers on counter-insurgency operations in the North East have killed
some top commanders of Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) Commanders and destroyed logistics base at Bukar Meram on the fringes of the Lake Chad in Borno State.
The soldiers under the subsidiary of Operation HAIL STORM, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, were said to have carried out the airstrike following intelligence reports of terrorist activities in the area.
Coordinator Defence Media operations Major General John Enenche, said, the Air Task Force (ATF) have continued to carry out a bombardment on targeted terrorist strongholds to rid terrorists in the area.
Enenche in the statement said: “In continuation of airstrikes being conducted under subsidiary Operation HAIL STORM, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has successfully neutralized some Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) Commanders and knocked out logistics facilities at Bukar Meram on the fringes of the Lake Chad in Borno State, while also neutralizing several terrorists at Dole, a settlement in the Southern part of Borno State. The air interdiction missions were executed on 17 August 2020 on the heels of credible intelligence reports indicating a resurgence of terrorist activities in the 2 settlements.
“Bukar Meram, a major ISWAP logistics hub linking other Island settlements of the Lake Chad, which also houses several of their fighters and some of their key leaders, was attacked by an enhanced force package of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets and helicopter gunships which hit designated targets in the area leading to the destruction of the logistics facilities and neutralization of several of the terrorists and their leaders.
“The attack at Dole was carried out after Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions showed a build-up of activities in the area after the relocation of some terrorists from nearby settlements of Kokiwa and Yale. Overhead the area the ISR aircraft spotted no fewer than 20 terrorists in the area, which were taken out by the NAF attack aircraft.