NAF kills 70 terrorists in airstrikes at Niger Republic border

The Nigerian Air Force has killed no fewer than 70 terrorists in airstrikes in the northern part of the country, at the border with Niger Republic.

The force, in a statement released on Saturday, April 16, 2022, said aircraft from Nigeria and Niger took part in the operation, AFP reported.

NAF said the airstrikes were launched in the Lake Chad area where terrorists had been known for hosting fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) since 2016.

The two terror groups, ISWAP, and its rival Boko Haram, have killed more than 40,000 people with over two million others displaced from their homes due to incessant violence that have lasted for 12 years.

Commenting on the latest success against the terrorists, Spokesman of Nigerian Air Force, Edward Gabkwet said, “Missions over the suspected locations conducted on April 13, 2022, specifically sighted large number of terrorists, a likely logistics camp,”

As a follow up to that, deploying aircraft from both Nigeria and Niger, airstrikes were launched at Tumbun Rego and a nearby training ground on Thursday, April 14, 2022, said the statement.

“Over 70 ISWAP terrorists were either eliminated or severely injured,” he said.

The Nigerian military usually intensifies its offensive assault against the terrorist groups at this time of the year, before the advent of the rainy season.

Although intelligence had shown that the terrorists have extended their operations to the North West of the country, troops have continued to make onslaught against them in the North East, their main operational base.

The Federal Government recently said preliminary reports on the Kaduna-bound train terror attack have established the presence of cooperation between the bandits and elements of Boko Haram terrorists dislodged from the North East.