By Francis Okoye
Scores of Boko Haram-ISWAP terrorists have been eliminated while their gun trucks are also destroyed in a well-coordinated joint operation of the air component and the ground troops in Gubio, Borno State.
A military intelligence source revealed that at least four-gun trucks belonging to the criminal elements were destroyed by airstrikes of a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) alpha jet while ground troops pursued and eliminated fleeing terrorists.
The insurgents were killed on Monday after they were encountered by the military jet, sent to provide close-air supports to ground forces at Gubio.
The Intelligence source added that the ground troops at Gubio were initially confronting the invading terrorists when the NAF jet on a different mission was instructed to proceed to the Gubio axis.
“The NAF alpha jet, on sighting the Boko Haram-ISWAP fighters fleeing towards Damasak in four-gun trucks, rocketed their convoy and subsequently immobilised the occupants.
“After the aerial bombardments, some terrorists who were trying to escape on foot, were neutralised by ground troops.
“Apart from the destroyed gun trucks, items recovered from the terrorists included sophisticated guns, ammunition, fragmental jackets, jerry cans, bags of Indian hemp, sexual enhancement pills and an exercise book containing Arabic text on how to make bombs, ” the source said.
