By: Asuquo Cletus Felix
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has destroyed an Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) enclave in Grazah, a location deep in the Mandara hills of Borno State.
NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday.
He noted that the strike was sequel to intelligence, revealing the sighting of a possible IED factory and storage area for other logistics.
Gabkwet disclosed that the factory was suspected to have been relocated, first from Gwoza to Timbuktu Triangle in Sambisa Forest and finally berthing at Grazah in the Mandara Hills.
The statement reads in part “Concerned by recent attacks especially on innocent civilians in Borno State using Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and suicide bombers and in a bid to achieve the mandate of the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, air strikes were conducted on terrorists’ enclaves at Grazah, a location deep in the Mandara Hills, on 2 August 2024.
“This was sequel to intelligence revealing the sighting of a possible IED factory and storage area for other logistics. For some time now, this IED factory was suspected to have been relocated, first from Gwoza to Timbuktu Triangle in Sambisa Forest and finally berthing at Grazah in the Mandara Hills.
“The IED factory location at Grazah had been under surveillance for weeks with various installations observed and activities of armed terrorists in the area found to be consistent with those protecting a strategic location.
” Additionally, 2-gun trucks were sighted tucked under a large tree near the suspected IED factory. These findings thus necessitate the need for an air strike on the location in order to destroy the suspected IED factory and neutralize the terrorists. Consequently, the targets were acquired and effectively destroyed.
“The aftermath of the air strikes followed by a thick cloud of smoke was indicative that the suspected IED factory, as well as the 2-gun trucks, were effectively destroyed, while several terrorists were neutralized.”
