Advertisement

Updated April 3rd, 2021 at 12:50 IST

Nigerian fighter jet missing; Boko Haram claims attack

Nigerian authorities said an air force fighter jet lost contact days ago in Borno state while on a mission to support ground troops.

| Image:self
Advertisement

Nigerian authorities said an air force fighter jet lost contact days ago in Borno state while on a mission to support ground troops.

The jihadist group Boko Haram released a video Friday saying it shot down the jet, according to SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activity.

Boko Haram released a video that showed what appeared to be a plane as it exploded midair. The video also showed the remains of a man who was described as the pilot of the plane by a Boko Haram fighter who spoke in the local Hausa language.

The Nigerian Air Force inscription on the plane matches the registration number of the Alpha-Jet which the Air Force said went missing during combat Wednesday.

Air Force Spokesman Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet said in a statement that the Alpha-Jet lost contact with radar in Borno State “while on interdiction mission in support of ground troops.”

The Air Force said Friday the plane which had two crew members might have crashed, adding that search and rescue efforts are ongoing.

“At this point, the NAF is not ruling out anything regarding the incident. It however remains hopeful that the crew would soon be found and rescued,” it said in a statement.

Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands of people in its more than 10 year insurgency, which has also spread to neighboring Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The Nigerian-based jihadist group in 2014 also said it shot down a Nigerian air force jet.

Advertisement

Published April 3rd, 2021 at 12:49 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Jerome Powell
2 minutes ago
Mukhtar Ansari Death
10 minutes ago
US Federal Reserve
18 minutes ago
Team Legend
29 minutes ago
Brij Bhushan and Sanjay Singh
31 minutes ago
Mani Ratnam
32 minutes ago
Lok Sabha Elections 2024
36 minutes ago
The Surprising Benefits of Video Games Beyond Just Entertainment
36 minutes ago
Alia Bhatt
39 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo