By Milcah Tanimu
In a recent operation, the Nigerian Air Force’s Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai conducted precise airstrikes, eliminating 22 terrorists in Borno State. The operation, based on intelligence received from the Land Component, targeted terrorists’ hideouts near Marte. The NAF aircraft swiftly engaged the terrorists, who were traveling in a gun truck and two motorcycles, about 22 km west of Marte, heading northwards towards Munguno.
After trailing the terrorists for approximately 70 minutes, the attackers halted beneath a tree, likely for refueling or to evade detection. At this point, the NAF aircraft struck, engulfing the area in a massive explosion, destroying the gun truck and motorcycles. The intensity of the blast suggests that the terrorists’ location might have been a logistics base or a storage site for weapons and explosives.
The terrorists’ attempts to evade detection and their inability to hold ground against the combined efforts of the land and air components demonstrate their weakening grip and dwindling capability to threaten military establishments or target civilians indiscriminately. Governor Babagana Zulum acknowledged the significant improvement in the state’s security, crediting the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies for their successful efforts.
