NIGRIA – The Nigerian military has killed at least 46 fighters of the Islamic State West African Province (Iswap) in bombardments carried out over the weekend. The offensive also led to the surrender of six commanders of the terrorist group.
The jihadists were overwhelmed in a counter attack by the soldiers in defence of their base which was invaded by the terrorists in Damasak in Nigeria’s North East Borno state.
The Nigerian Air Force attacked the insurgents using two rotary and fixed-wing fighter helicopters as well as the ground troops backed by armored tanks.
The hideouts of the insurgents were also destroyed in the air raid conducted in Tumbun Jaki and Tumbun Murhu enclaves near Lake Chad.
In the attacks, the insurgents fled in different directions and scampered for safety as their enclaves were struck in quick succession, with their logistics base engulfed in flames.
“Some of the Iswap Boko Haram fighters who managed to escape the bomb attacks to hide under thick vegetation were subsequently acquired and engaged with bombs and rockets,” the military said.
The troops seized six high level Iswap commanders who surrendered during the operation.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, Director of Defence Media Operations Maj-Gen Benard Onyeuko said that the surrender of the high-profile terrorists was unprecedented. He also reported that the Air Component of Operation of the military on Tuesday last week conducted an air raid in Tumbum Jaki and Tumbum Murhu near Lake Chad in Borno State after receiving intelligent reports on the activities of the insurgents in the area.
The successful airstrike neutralised several Boko Haram terrorists and destroyed their hideout.
