UPDATE: Airstrike Injures Boko Haram Main Leader Shekau, Kills His Deputy

Nigerian Air Force component of Operation Lafiya Dole has conducted an air interdiction mission on some remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists in a village 3.42 km Northeast of Mangosum.

According to a statement signed by Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, the Nigerian Air Force provided cover to Nigerian Army troops to repel an attack by the Boko Haram insurgents.

He said, “on the previous day, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) had successfully provided air cover to troops of 27 Task Force Battalion thereby enabling them to repel an attack by the Boko Haram Terrorists."

Subsequently, a NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft trailed the remnants of the insurgents that attacked the Battalion to a village near Mangosum, following which the NAF conducted the air interdiction mission with two Alpha Jet and one F-7Ni aircraft. Battle Damage Assessment conducted after the strike showed that several leaders of the Boko Haram Terrorist Organization and their followers were killed during the attacks.

“A sizeable cache of weapons and equipment was also destroyed," the Air Commodore added.