Nigerian Army Begins Airstrikes In Borno

The Nigerian military on Monday, 1 September, 2014, began airstrikes on Bama, Borno State’s second most important city, following fierce fighting with Boko Haram insurgents, security officials informed.

According to Premium Times, residents in Bama informed that the town came under attack from the insurgents on Monday morning forcing the military authorities to call in the air force for a sustained air attack on the town.

It was gathered that attention was focused around the military barracks suspected to be the target of the insurgents.

Another source informed that military commanders had withdrawn ground troops that had earlier engaged the terrorists to allow the use of sweeping air attacks.

The source added that the military had warned residents to leave the town ahead of the clash on Monday.

“But the insurgents seemed to have resorted to using a few of their members to create a detour (distraction) and make the aircrafts dissipate their bombs so that they would come attacking with a much larger force,” said the source.

It was gathered that Monday’s aerial bombardment of suspected insurgents commenced the gradual roll-out of full force against the sect by the Nigerian military.

“We were all along restrained because of the Chibok girls,” a top military source said. “But the time has now come to do something drastic. We cannot afford to allow a rag tag group to take over our country.”

A local vigilante, on Monday, said that about 70 Boko Haram terrorists were killed by soldiers as the insurgents attempted to storm the town and seize the barracks.

A top security official in Maiduguri confirmed the attack but did not give casualty figure or state which side suffered more damage.