THE Air Task Force (ATF) of the Operation Lafiya Dole has destroyed a hideout belonging to the Boko Haram Terrorists, destroying the insurgents’ facilities, as well as neutralising many of the fighters.

Ibikunle Daramola, Director of Public Relations and Information in the Nigeria Air Force, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday. He said the operation against the terrorists was carried out on Monday, 18 February, at a settlement called Arboko in Borno State.

The operation was conducted as part of the close air support that the NAF provides for troops of the 82 Brigade of the Nigerian Army.

“In the course of the operation, the ISR aircraft spotted a group of BHT fighters within Arboko village and vectored the Alpha Jet to engage their camp with rocket fire, thereby degrading the terrorists’ structures and neutralizing some of their fighters.

“The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its efforts to completely destroy all remnants of the terrorists in the Northeast,” the statement added.

Watch a clip of the NAF airstrikes on the Boko Haram settlement:

There have been worries as to whether the 2019 general elections will hold in several parts of Borno State as well as other parts of the country currently experiencing one security threat or the other.

In recent times, Boko Haram has carried out a number of coordinated attacks on civilians and military objectives.

Just days before the initial election date of February 16, 2019, the convoy of the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, was attacked by Boko Haram on his way from Gamboru to Maiduguri, the state capital. Five persons – four civilians and one soldier – were killed in the attack, though unconfirmed reports say the number is much higher.

However, Shettima said his confidence in the armed forces of Nigeria remains unshaken.