The battle by the Nigerian military to reclaim Bama, which was seized by Boko Haram four days ago got hotter yesterday with a heavy bombardment in air assaults. Bama, located about 70 kilometres from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State is the second largest town in the state. The “push in” by troops had recorded what sources described as “modest gain” but the military was yet to reclaim the town by last night. A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “The insurgents were still holding on to Bama, they are still in charge. Typical of rag-tag insurgents, they are holding on to the last straws. “But the troops are gaining upper hand through heavy air strikes. We are mostly fighting the battle in the air in Bama and Gwoza. Amid heavy bombardment, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeshola Amosun, has relocated to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to coordinate the air strikes. “The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adeshola Amosun, is personally supervising the aerial battle having relocated to Maiduguri from Abuja since Friday. This underscores the importance attached to the air strikes. “With aerial bombardment, we are hopeful that the troops launching the “push in” will finally take over the town. “The insurgents are feeling the air strikes, they are suffering huge losses. From intelligence report, the bombardments have become unbearable for them and they might vacate the place within the next 24 to 48 hours. “What we need to do now is for troops to gain access by land to Bama and dominate the place. We will reclaim these two towns.”
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 15:24:46 +0000
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