Precious Oham
Many operatives of the Boko Haram insurgent group were feared killed at the weekend when a strategy meeting summoned by a commander was attacked by Nigerian Air Force jets.
It was gathered that the meeting took place at a stronghold of the group at Kurebe in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The meeting, however, turned into a conclave of death for the insurgents after the air force raided the meeting. However, the circumstances of the commander who hosted the meeting were yet uncertain as at Sunday as it was not known if he was among those killed.
In a statement by the NAF Director, Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet said the terrorists had assembled at the venue for a meeting hosted by one Aminu Duniya, a Boko Haram terrorist commander, when the fighter jet bombardment the place.
While noting that the strike was said to have been successful with many dead, he, however, was not certain on the fate of Duniya.
The statement read in part: “Over the weekend, NAF aircraft struck a terrorists gathering at Kurebe in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State after intelligence revealed that the terrorists had assembled for an important meeting hosted by Aminu Duniya, a Boko Haram terrorist commander. Aminu Duniya was said to have invited the terrorists to his enclave at Kurebe to the meeting which obviously attracted numerous terrorists who came in large numbers on their motorbikes.”
Sources revealed that the air strike was successful and resulted in the death of many terrorists, though it remains unclear if Aminu Duniya was also neutralized in the strike.
It should be noted that Kurebe is a known terrorists haven as the local inhabitants of Kurebe have since vacated the villages in and around the area after the terrorists drove them away in 2021.
The strike at Kurebe came barely hours after a coordinated joint air and ground operations, neutralized several terrorists operating around Damba – Galbi axis in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The activities of the terrorists continued to make life unbearable to locals in the area. So, when intelligence had revealed that the terrorists planned on overrunning a nearby village within the vicinity, the military saw that as an opportunity to surprise them. While NA troops laid siege around the location, NAF aircraft were directed to the suspected location of the terrorists which was then attacked. Several terrorists were confirmed killed after the strike.