Nigerian Air Force Continues Offensive In Borno

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) last week attacked several Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) locations in Northern Borno killing several insurgents and providing cover for many of its own troops.

According to a newly declassified video of the operation made available to The Nation by the Director Of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, the attacks were carried out at Kadara, Ngoshe and Kangarwa.

Active in the operations were NAF Alpha Jets, many of which was weaponised by local technicians before being deployed to the Northeast. According to Famuyiwa, on November16, 2016, an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft reported a gathering of BHTs under a tree at Kadari. An Alpha Jet on armed reconnaissance was called in to strafe the location thus killing a number of the insurgents and causing survivors to flee in different directions.

Also on 18 November 2016, NAF fighter jets again carried out a series of coordinated air strikes against BHT locations at Ngoshe. The strike, carried out by a 3-ship formation of Alpha Jets against 5 carefully selected BHT targets, was part of OPERATION RESCUE FINALE by the Nigerian Army.

In Ngoshe, the Alpha jets hit their targets five times while a similar air strike was conducted on another BHT location near Kangarwa on 19 November 2016.

In Kangarwa, based on ISR aircraft request, an Alpha Jet was scrambled for air interdiction at a location close to Kangarwa. The area was strafed with cannon at least two times. On the same day, the NAF provided ISR cover for own ground forces advancing from Ngoshe to Pulka.