Airforce Helicopter NAF
Gashigar:
Airforce Helicopter NAF
Gashigar: NAF Helicopters Repel Boko Haram Attacks on
Troops
The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has provided
air support for ground forces to repel a Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT)
attack at Gashigar.
The operation was carried out over the night of 27 and early
morning of 28 October 2018, following a report from troops at
Gashigar that their location was under attack. Accordingly, a
Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (ISR) platform that was on a mission at another
location was immediately redirected to Gashigar. In addition, a
pair of Mi-35 helicopter gunships were scrambled to the
location.
Overhead Gashigar, the NAF ISR platform was joined by another
from the Nigerien Air Force and they both were able to identify the
location of the BHTs, in 13 Gun Trucks, as they advanced towards
the camp from 2 different directions. They subsequently directed
the fire of the helicopter gunships and own ground troops support
weapons towards the terrorists.
The combined fire forced the BHTs to retreat from the camp.
However, the BHTs attempted to regroup at a location outside the
camp but were again engaged by the helicopter gunships and sent
scampering in different directions, with several of them killed or
injured in the process. The ISR platform and helicopters remained
within the location providing necessary air support for the troops
until the situation was stabilized and threats neutralized.
The NAF, working in concert with surface forces, will sustain
the tempo of operations with a view to destroying all remnants of
the terrorists on the fringes of Lake Chad and other areas in
Northern Borno.
IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force