The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has launched precision airstrikes on fleeing members of the foiled military coup in the Benin Republic, neutralising several suspected plotters and destroying their vehicles.
Nigerian fighter jets crossed into Beninese airspace on Sunday under a joint arrangement with authorities in Cotonou after intelligence indicated that key coup elements were attempting to escape in armoured vehicles.
“The mission was carefully coordinated with Benin’s leadership,” one senior security source said. “The priority was to stop the fleeing elements from regrouping, while helping restore order after the failed putsch.”
The operation, which reportedly lasted about half an hour, involved a series of tightly coordinated strikes on moving convoys believed to be carrying loyalists of the coup leader, Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri. The targets were said to be heading south from the interior towards Cotonou and other coastal exit routes when they were engaged.
Residents in parts of Cotonou spoke of hearing heavy explosions and seeing plumes of smoke rising from the outskirts of the city, fuelling speculation that foreign jets were involved in the crackdown on the putschists.
Confirming the Development, Agence France-Presse(AFP) reported that Nigerian aircrafts struck targets in an apparent coordination with Beninese authorities seeking to contain the mutiny.
In a separate comment, Nigerian Air Force spokesman, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the service “operated in the Republic of Benin in line with ECOWAS protocols and the ECOWAS Standby Force mandate”.
POLITICS NIGERIA learned that the strikes successfully disabled several armoured vehicles and blocked escape corridors that had been mapped out by the fleeing soldiers. While no official casualty figures have been released, Security sources confirmed that “a number of the hostile elements” were killed in the strikes.
“All flights were carried out with the knowledge and consent of Beninese authorities and in line with international rules of engagement,” another official familiar with the mission noted, adding that planners took pains to avoid civilian areas and minimise collateral damage.
The air operation followed a failed attempt by Lt. Col. Tigri and his faction, known as the Military Committee for Refoundation, to dissolve state institutions and seize power in the West African country. Loyalist forces in Benin moved quickly to reassert control, forcing some of the key coup backers to attempt a retreat towards the south.
