Nigerian Air Force Set for Strikes Against Boko Haram

Nigeria’s military said Thursday that it was ready to launch air strikes against Boko Haram Islamists as several thousand troops moved to the remote northeast to retake territory seized by the insurgents. The operation follows President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to a impose a state of emergency in all three areas as he admitted that Boko Haram had “taken over” territory in the northeast and declared war against the government.

The Islamists, who have said they are fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north, have become emboldened and better armed in recent months. The operation is the largest against Boko Haram since 2009, when soldiers flooded Borno’s capital Maiduguri, killing more than 800 people and forcing the insurgents. The Boko Haram conflict is estimated to have cost 3,600 lives since 2010, including killings by the security forces.