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The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has ramped up its counter-insurgency operations in Borno State, launching a series of precision airstrikes against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) hideouts.
The latest strikes targeted key terrorist enclaves, resulting in the destruction of multiple insurgent facilities and the elimination of several terrorists.
According to intelligence sources cited by Zagazola Makama, a counter-terrorism expert in the Lake Chad, NAF fighter jets carried out a major offensive on March 22, striking ISWAP positions in Chilaria, within the notorious Timbuktu Triangle.
The operation inflicted heavy damage on the insurgents, neutralizing several fighters and destroying four Hilux trucks used for their activities.
Read also: ISWAP-Boko Haram rivalry intensifies as over 50 B’Haram fighters killed in fierce clashes
According to the report, a day earlier, on March 21, NAF jets conducted another air raid in Abbaganaram, eliminating two ISWAP vehicles and demolishing a weapons storage facility.
“These air operations are part of Desert Sanity 4, a broader military campaign aimed at dismantling terrorist networks and securing territories for ground forces to consolidate gains.
“Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions continue to guide precision strikes, ensuring that terrorist assets are effectively neutralised.
Read also: Funding, training of Boko Haram, ISWAP, Lukarawa, and bandits in Nigeria
“The Air Component remains focused on sustaining pressure on ISWAP, providing close air support, and degrading insurgent capabilities until the terror group is completely dismantled,” the report stated.
The NAF’s sustained aerial bombardment is expected to significantly weaken ISWAP’s operational strength, bolstering efforts to restore peace and security in the region.
