NAF commences operation Ruwan Wuta III, bombs Boko Haram hideouts

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said it has commenced an intensive bombardment of the hideouts of Boko Haram terrorists in northern Borno and the Sambisa general area in an operation codenamed Operation Ruwan Wuta III.

A statement signed by NAF’s spokesman, Air Vice Marshal, Olatokunbo Adesanya yesterday, said the NAF conducted an air interdiction mission on the hideout of the Boko Haram terrorists at Kolaram, which is 37km East of Monguno. He said previous Intelligence Reconnaissance Surveillance (ISR) conducted indicated that Kolaram was used as a location to attack the land forces in northern Borno.

The statement reads: “On 12 December, the Air Task Force of Operation Lafiya Dole commenced an intensive bombardment of the hideouts of Boko Haram terrorists in northern Borno and the Sambisa general area in an operation codenamed Operation RUWAN WUTA 3. 

”On the first day of the Operation, an air interdiction mission was conducted on a Boko Haram hideout in Kolaram, which is 37km East of Monguno. Previous Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions by Nigerian Air Force (NAF) platforms had revealed Kolaram to be an active Boko Haram location from where the terrorists had launched attacks on our surface forces in northern Borno. 

“Accordingly, 2 NAF helicopters were detailed for a pre-dawn attack on the settlement, followed by another wave of attacks from 4 fighter aircraft. Battle Damage Assessment (BDA) showed that several structures were destroyed, causing fire within the settlement while some insurgents were killed in the process. 

“On the same day, one NAF helicopter and some fighter aircraft attacked an adjoining settlement Southeast of Kolaram, targeting structures that had been observed to host significant terrorists activities. The targeted Boko Haram structures were destroyed and engulfed in fire, killing the terrorists hiding in them.”

He added: “During the attacks on Kolaram and Southeast of Kolaram, some escaping insurgents were tracked as they fled northwards to Jubilaram, which is 38km Northeast of Monguno. Accordingly, another wave of air interdiction was launched on the location, which was also found to be active with BHT activities. 

“Four NAF fighter aircraft took turns to attack structures occupied by the Boko Haram elements in the settlement. Subsequent BDA revealed that the attacks resulted in a large part of the settlement being engulfed in fire, thereby destroying the terrorists structures and neutralizing the fleeing insurgents,” the statement noted.