The Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP), launched three rocket attacks at the Diffa airport in Niger Republic, about 10 KM from neighbouring Nigeria, an online newswebsite, HumAngle says.
ISWAP has solidified it’s terror activities in Nigeria after killing Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, and taking control of the Sambisa forest.
The news website, which focuses on conflict reporting, says ISWAP on Friday, July 2, fired the rockets towards the Diffa Airport in southeastern Niger Republic, near the border with Nigeria. It says there was no immediate information on the impact of the attacks.
According to HumAngle, the incident happened at the time Nigerien President, Mohamed Bazoum, was on a three-day working visit to the Diffa Region to inspect the security and humanitarian situation and return of displaced persons
ISWAP has over the years, acquired the capacity to wage massive attacks on hitherto secured places. It has overrun several military installations in the North Eastern part of Nigeria.
The news organisation says the first known use of the kind of rockets used in Diffa Airport was on February 23, 2019 deployed in Maiduguri, Borno State capital by ISWAP.
It says the terror group is believed to have captured those rockets from the Nigerian Army, particularly after the fall of Baga in 2018 and it has since used them in attacks in Nigeria and Niger.
It added that the 122mm Grad rockets are usually mounted on Russian made BM-21 and its heavier Czech variant, the RM-70 multiple launch rocket system(MLRS) trucks, which are in the stock of the Nigerian Army.
