The Nigerian Army has denied reports that Chadian troops carried out airstrikes within its territory.
Chad’s military had claimed, via a statement, on Thursday, June 18, 2015, that it had bombed Boko Haram camps in Nigeria.
In response however, Nigerian Army spokesperson, Chris Olukolade stated that the report was incorrect.
Olukolade said further, via a statement also released on Thursday, that the Nigerian Air force surveillance mission identified targets tagged, Camp 6, around Bosso town which is not within Nigerian territory, “and alerted the partners, accordingly”.
The statement reads:
“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 Airforce surveillance mission identified targets tagged at 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.”
“The Nigerian military will continue to cooperate with 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.”
Chad said that it carried out the air strikes in retaliation for twin suicide bombings in its capital, Ndjamena which claimed 33 lives and were blamed on Boko Haram.