During synchronized nighttime airstrikes in the riverine regions of Kukawa Local Government Area, Borno State, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), acting under the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, destroyed terrorist boats and neutralized many fighters.
Security analyst and counterinsurgency specialist Zagazola Makama revealed the revelation on Tuesday via his X Twitter.
The report claims that after persistent information, surveillance, and reconnaissance revealed increasing movement and logistical activity by rebels in the region, the operations targeted terrorist hideouts near the Malimbe–Masaram Island axis and portions of the Northern Tumbuns.
According to security sources, precision-guided missiles were used in the January 18 airstrikes to minimize collateral damage.
The sources claim that a number of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, or JAS, fighters were slain, and boats that were utilized for transportation and logistics along the waters of Lake Chad were destroyed.
They further stated that following the attacks, the remaining rebels retreated in the direction of the Abadam axis, abandoning their positions at Malimbe and Toumbun Beriberi.
According to one of the sources, “post-strike assessment showed the terrorists withdrawing in disarray and indications that they suspected their movements had been compromised.”
According to the sources, more air and ground monitoring has been implemented in the region to deter potential retaliatory attacks on people.
On January 20, the NAF conducted another air interdiction operation at “Rackstar,” a recently discovered terrorist hideout in the Northern Tumbuns.
The site was purportedly utilized for improvised explosive device (IED) assembly and weapon maintenance, and it was also a suspected hiding place for fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Prior to the strike, ISR reportedly found active structures, fighter groupings, a black flag, and a solar panel, all of which suggested the enclave was being used for operations.
Following the engagement of the objectives, the group’s operational and logistical capabilities were weakened.
According to military officials, the aviation operations are a part of continuous attempts to prevent terrorists from traveling freely and finding refuge in the Lake Chad basin and its environs.