A military source said that the aerial bombardments were
meant to destroy Boko Haram's weapons and installations
in the border town.
He said: "Our tactical aerial attacks to reclaim this town
have been effective and yielding the desired results. This
will enable the fleeing residents and villagers to return
within the shortest period of time."
But a source who was taking refuge in Maiduguri lamented
the cost of the battle as it "took a heavy toll on civilian lives
and property as the insurgents were said to be embedded
with residents, allegedly used as human shields."
On how Bama was reclaimed, the military source said: "The
first attacks didn't really make the expected impact but the
second round of bombardments really injured those Boko
Haram boys, which is why they are retreating now. They are
now deeper into Bama, while our people are advancing and
gaining territory. The Boko Haram boys are right now
retreating.
"We are now dislodging them. You know, the air force has
intensified its efforts; it brought F-7 and different kinds of
aircraft. They really bombarded them."
Another military source confirmed the advances of the
armed forces in the battle of Bama but cautioned that it
was no time for celebration yet, as the operation was still
ongoing in several parts of the state.
He said the situation was "still very volatile" in Gwoza,
Gambouru, Wulgo and one or two towns in northern
Borno, were far from being liberated from the terrorists'
takeover in the last three months.
"We don't want to say anything official but there are still
fights going on in different places and on different scales,
especially by air. This is a critical and unusual time," the
senior military officer said.
He also explained that apart from the aerial campaign in
Bama, NAF had been effective in support of the ground
forces with the launch of air attacks with different aircraft
types, including helicopter gunships.
He said: "We are very deeply involved. You know what we
are having here is a joint operation of the services, even
though the navy may not be involved right now because of
the terrain.
"First and foremost, apart from the airlift, we are equally
supporting the ground forces; in most of the cases we even
take the initiative. In modern warfare, the air force normally
does the first dirty job, clear the road for the army to do the
mop-up operations.
"Like I said, all our platforms are participating fully here. We
have Alpha Jets, we have F7, Beechcraft, Mi35, which are the
gunships, and then all our transport planes: C-130, the G
TripleT. So we are participating fully and playing a
significant role in that place."
But a military intelligence source in Maiduguri said
yesterday: "Gwoza is still a no-go area, I must tell you the
truth, the town is firmly in hands of the Boko Haram
terrorists. We are currently focusing on Bama before
advancing to other areas in northern and southern parts of
Borno State."
No comments:
Post a Comment