The Nigerian Air Force announced a breakthrough in its counter-terrorism efforts on Thursday, revealing that its air component, Operation Hadin Kai, has successfully targeted and destroyed a suspected factory producing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Borno State.
News About Nigeria reports that NAF said this achievement was made possible through a combination of intelligence gathering and precision airstrikes.
According to Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, the Director of Public Relations and Information for the Nigerian Air Force, the operation was prompted by a surge in attacks on innocent civilians in Borno State, which utilized IEDs and suicide bombers.
In response, the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai launched airstrikes on terrorist enclaves in Grazah, a remote location in the Mandara Mountains, on August 2, 2024.
Intelligence reports had suggested that a possible IED factory and storage area for other logistical supplies were present in the area.
The IED factory was believed to have relocated multiple times, from Gwoza to the Timbuktu Triangle in Sambisa Forest, and finally to Grazah in the Mandara Hills, in an attempt to evade detection and destruction.
However, the concerted efforts of the security forces involved in Operation Hadin Kai had exerted significant pressure on the terrorists, forcing them to frequently relocate.
The location of the IED factory in Grazah had been under surveillance for several weeks, during which various installations were observed, and the activities of armed terrorists in the area were found to be consistent with those protecting a strategic location.
The presence of two gun trucks, tucked under a large tree near the suspected IED factory, further confirmed the need for an airstrike to destroy the facility and neutralize the terrorists.
Consequently, the targets were acquired and effectively destroyed, resulting in a thick cloud of smoke indicating the successful destruction of the suspected IED factory, the two gun trucks, and the neutralization of several terrorists.
