35 killed in latest military air strikes on Boko Haram strongholds in Borno

Troops yesterday used jets and attack helicopters to bombard Boko Haram Islamic camps in Sambisa Game Reserve, in Borno State, which is one of their strongholds killing a number of the insurgents. The Sambisa Camps are believed to be harbouring their training and enrollment base.

Over 3,600 military personnel comprising the Army, Navy, Police, the Department of State Security, DSS and other security agencies and men of Counter Terrorists Squad, CTS, are said to be involved in the campaign to rout the Boko Haram insurgents from their hideouts in the affected states.


Heavy weapons belonging to the insurgents including anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns were destroyed by the military fighter jets even as the Nigerian Army’s artillery long range surface to air guns were also being used.

An unconfirmed report however, said that one of the air strike jets was shot by the insurgents, "but the pilots manoeuvred it successfully and landed safely at the base."
 
This military offensive continued just as the Army said yesterday that its personnel in Daura, Katsina State foiled an attempt by the Boko Haram sect to overrun the ancient town by attacking and bombing government and public institutions like police stations and banks, causing mayhem and disrupting the peace of the residents of the area.
 
Borno and Yobe states and their environs have remained for two days without communication as all the GSM networks were cut off to enable the military accomplish their mission without hitches.
 
No fewer than 35 of the insurgents had so far been killed during the air strikes on their training camps.
 
Military Spokesman, Olukolade confirmed that jets and helicopter gunships had been used to attack several camps.
 
Nigerian forces are trying to regain territory controlled by increasingly well-armed Boko Haram Islamist insurgents in their north-eastern stronghold states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, which were put under a state of emergency by President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday.