The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, said its helicopter conveying personnel on medical outreach programme at Gwoza came under attack by the Boko Haram insurgents.
A statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Group Capt. Ayodele Famuyiwa made available to newsmen in Abuja disclosed this on Thursday, February 16, 2017.
According to Famuyiwa, the Mi-17 helicopter was shot at several times by the insurgents, however, there was no casualty except for an airman that sustained bullet wound.
He explained that the helicopter had departed from Maiduguri enroute the venue of the 2-day medical outreach programme in Gwoza when it came under attack by the insurgents.
“Nevertheless, the pilot was able to fly the helicopter safely to and from its destination to enable the outreach programme continue uninterrupted.
“Following the attack, NAF immediately scrambled a fighter aircraft and helicopter gunship to the location between Bama and Gwoza to neutralise the threat,” he said.
Famuyiwa added that intelligent report by ground troops confirmed that scores of insurgents were killed, signifying that the air attack on the threat location was successful.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NAF has been conducting medical outreach in the North-East as part of its humanitarian support to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The latest of this effort was in Gwoza.
Late December 2016, President Muhammadu Buhari declared victory over the Islamist terrorist group after Nigerian troops announced that they have recaptured Camp Zero in Sambisa forest, the base of the deadliest terrorist group in the world.
The Nigerian Army later presented the president with the flag belonging to the terrorist group in a “mission accomplished” ceremony.
Since the declaration a week ahead of Christmas Day 2016, Boko Haram has launched a number of deadly attacks in the North Eastern region of the country where the terrorists have murdered at least 50,000 since they began their campaign to establish an Islamic caliphate in the country. (Yayaha Isah/NAN)
