The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has confirmed the fears of independent security analysts that the terror sect, Boko Haram may be regrouping.
At a briefing in Yola, Adamawa State on Thursday, July 27, NAF said the terrorists are gradually returning to Sambisa Forest, their former stronghold.
The Air Component Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, the military operation in the North-East, Air Commodore Tajudeen Yusuf disclosed this to newsmen.
Incessant
bombardment of the forest by NAF and the efforts of foot troops had
flushed the insurgents out of their 'headquarters.'
Yusuf said NAF fighter jets and attack helicopters had bombed the terrorists' hideouts 108 times between April and July, 2017.
He said,
"Intelligence surveillance and Reconnaissance reports through the
second quarter of 2017 indicated a gradual return of the Boko Haram
terrorist activities to the Sambisa Forest. There have been sightings of
a few Boko Haram activities in the Sambisa general area, particularly
in Parisu.
"Hence, the air
component conducted significant ISR missions in the Sambisa general
area. On July 3, an air interdiction mission was conducted on Alagarno
Camp. Several solar panels were seen on buildings in the location, which
indicated that it was being used as a Command and Control facility.
"The
NAF conducted air interdiction missions with the F-7Ni, Alpha jets,
L-39ZA, Mi-17 and the Mi-35M attack helicopters to neutralise the Boko
Haram terrorist targets within the theatre.
"A total of 108 air interdiction sorties were conducted from April to June 2017."
The Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, had also on Thursday expressed shock at the recent massacre of oil workers and military personnel by the terrorists.
Shettima said the latest attack is a setback for the anti-insurgency war.
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