DHQ Debunks Reports on Chadian Air Strikes in Nigeria

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday debunked reports by the Chadian military that it had carried out air strikes on Nigerian territory.

Foreign news reports had quoted an unnamed Chadian general as stating that Chadian helicopters struck at least six bases in Nigeria used by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram in response to twin bombings in the capital, N’Djamena, earlier this week.

But dismissing the claim, Defence spokesman, Major-General Chris Olukolade, said: “The claim that the Chadian military have conducted air strikes against six terrorist camps in Nigeria is not correct.

“The fact is that the Nigerian Air Force surveillance mission identified (Boko Haram) targets tagged as Camp 6 around Bosso town, which is not within Nigeria’s territory and alerted the partners accordingly.

“The places reported to have been struck by the Chadians are therefore most likely to be in Niger Republic and not Nigeria as widely reported in the international media.

“Although the terms of the multilateral and bilateral understanding with partners in the war against terror allow some degree of hot pursuit against the terrorists, the territory of Nigeria has not been violated as insinuated in the reports circulated in some foreign media.”

Olukolade said the Nigerian military would continue to cooperate with its regional partners in the mission to exterminate or contain terrorists strictly in conformity with existing terms of the Concept of Operation at strategic, operational or tactical levels.
“It is however important that issues are accurately reported while avoiding misleading or unnecessary sensationalism from any quarter,” he added.

Bloomberg had reported yesterday that Chadian helicopters struck at least six bases in neighbouring Nigeria used by Boko Haram in response to twin bombings in the capital, N’Djamena, earlier this week.

According to the report, the air strikes caused “human and material damage”, the Chadian army general staff said yesterday in a statement read on national radio, without giving further details. According to Bloomberg, there was no independent confirmation of the raids.

Buhari promised in a message on his Twitter feed yesterday that the “efforts to strengthen security cooperation with our neighbours and adjust our own response to Boko Haram will yield results very soon.”

source:ThisDay