Nigerian military reveals that it killed more than 100 terrorists in one day

In an airstrike on December 20 in Borno, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) claims to have killed over 100 terrorists, including several of their leaders.

This information may be found in a statement made on Sunday in Abuja by Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF Headquarters.

He claimed that the interdiction mission was carried out at Mantari village in the Gezuwa general area of the Bama Local Government Area of Borno by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK).

The director said that terrorist leaders Khalid Tukur, Maimusari, and Bakura Jega were among those killed.

The attack, according to air commodore Mr. Gabkwet, was in response to intelligence information that a Boko Haram terrorist commander by the name of Ikirima had transferred his weapons trucks to Mantari village and was joined by other terrorists riding motorbikes from various areas.

“Subsequently, the authorisation for an air strike was given leading to the elimination of several of the terrorists and structures in the area.

“After the first wave of air strikes, some surviving terrorists found their way back to the same location to evacuate the bodies of those neutralised in the air strike.

“This provided an opportunity for a follow-up strike on the same location which has been confirmed very successful as over 100 terrorists were neutralised with dozens said to be in critical condition.“

ISWAP and Boko Haram members, according to Mr. Gabkwet, have prepared preparations to restart active hostilities following the holiday season and the next general elections.

“The timely intelligence received on their plans especially, their attempt to attack soft targets in Bama thus helped in the successful air strikes which have reduced their will to regroup and attack innocent citizens.

“There is no doubt that the progress and gains being made especially, by the air and ground troops has greatly contained an upsurge of terrorists’ campaigns within the North-East zone in recent times.

“Both air and ground troops have however been cautioned on the need to remain focused on the end state,“ he said.

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) have both praised the work of these individuals and other security organizations operating under OPHK for the outstanding successes being made in the theater.

They claim that the continuing activities have significantly improved the security situation in the area.

However, the pair asked the soldiers to keep doing their best to ensure that the area was free of all terrorists.

Along with praising the troops' dedication and extraordinary sacrifices as Borno slowly returns to peace, they also paid special respect to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.

The service chiefs wished the troops a happy holiday and expressed their gratitude to them on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari and all Nigerians for their sacrifices and efforts.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), yuletide lunches between military chiefs and frontline troops have developed into a regular ritual with the goal of fostering camaraderie and boosting morale.

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