The Defence Headquarters in Abuja said the Nigerian army killed some leaders of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram fighters during a meeting at Kolloram on the fringes of the Lake Chad in Borno State.
In a statement on Sunday, the DHQ said military jets deployed were by the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole after receiving human intelligence that the terrorist leaders were gathered in the area to launch attacks on nearby communities.
The armed forces of Nigeria are sustaining their onslaught against terrorist elements in the North-East. In this regard, the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole on Saturday executed air strikes which neutralised several ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters at Kolloram,” the DMO Coordinator, Maj Gen John Enenche, said.
“The operation was conducted based on credible intelligence reports indicating that some of the ISWAP leaders and fighters had converged on the settlement for a meeting. Accordingly, the Nigerian Air Force fighter jets and surveillance aircraft were scrambled to attack the location. Overhead the target area, the terrorists were seen moving towards the edges of the settlement and were engaged, leading to neutralisation of several of them.”
The Defence Media Operations in the release said the air strikes would continue until the ISWAP and Boko Haram strongholds had been destroyed in the Lake Chad basin.
This is coming one week after the Nigerian Army said its operatives killed 105 Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists after the insurgents attempted to attack Buni Gari community in Yobe State.