Official sources say the Nigerian military has begun a tactical offensive against the Boko Haram insurgents in what appears to be a final showdown with the jihadists.
Military sources have confirmed that Nigeria Air Force jets have begun a massive bombardment of Sambisa forest.
According to Leadership, the targeting has already mapped areas believed to be hideouts of the Boko Haram insurgents.
One major target for bombardment is Alagarno which lies about 45km south of Maiduguri.
Alagarno is believed to be one of the most important Boko Haram camps, a hideout where the jihadists have planned operations over the past four years.
It was not until recently that deadly military attacks caused the dislodgment of some of the separatists.
The Nigeria army on Monday, December 7 began to advance towards Alagarno, the notorious hideout which also doubles as the spiritual headquarters of Boko Haram.
Col Sani Usman, spokesman of the army, confirmed the development, saying it was a strategic operation involving both the air and ground troops.
The military chief said that details of the strategies would not be disclosed to the general public for obvious reasons.
Meanwhile, top Boko Haram leaders are reportedly on the run, leaving behind caches of arms and the corpses of their slain comrades.
Following the bombardment which began over Sambisa on Monday, an anonymous military source said the military is making real progress in ridding Sambisa of its deadly occupants.
The presidency said there is a chance that totally defeating Boko Haram will not be feasible in December, and President Muhammadu Buhari has said the government is open to modifying the December deadline.
According to the army, the time frame given is only a guide line for the military and “new operational exigencies” may require the deadline to be modified.
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