Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet, F-7Ni Fighter Jets Bomb Boko Haram Positions

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), using Alpha jet as well as F-7Ni fighter jets, has bombed logistics bases used by Boko Haram militants in their Sambisa forest hideouts, in the northeast part of the country.

The force component of operation "LAFIA DOLE" conducted intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission over Parisu in the Sambisa general area when it came across the gathering of Boko Haram fighters, NAF Spokesperson Olatokunbo Adesanya said.

"The Air Component detailed four fighter jets namely: one F-7Ni and three Alpha Jet aircraft to strike the target in succession," he said in a statement this week.

"The first and second strike completely destroyed the building while the third aircraft strafed some fleeing insurgents," he added.

Adesanya said the fourth attack was re-directed to a building close by, where the insurgents activities were also noticed.

"Subsequent Battle Damage Assessment revealed that the insurgents hideout was completely reduced to rubble and scores were killed while some of them were seen evacuating the casualties," the spokesperson added.

The mission was in furtherance of the operations to completely defeat the insurgents, he said. A large group of insurgents were seen converging under a tree close to a prominent zinc-roofed structure, during the ISR mission, the spokesperson added.

He said part of the structure was concealed by the foliage of a tree, making it a seemingly unobtrusive gathering point for the terrorists.

A confirmatory ISR mission indicated that the structure was indeed insurgents' hideout, housing a large number of them.