Military captures 60 terrorists and neutralises 52 – DHQ

According to Defence Headquarters, between September 15 and September 22, Nigerian armed forces personnel killed 52 terrorists, detained 60, and freed 61 hostages during various operations.

Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the director of defence media operations, announced this in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

According to Buba, seven terrorists in total—five adult males and two adult females—surrendered to the military during the time period under consideration.

He claimed that a total of 77 firearms and 658 different types of ammunition were found by the troops.

“There are 53 AK47 rifles, two AK47 rifles that are each holding eight rounds of special 7.62mm ammo, 18 locally made rifles, one Beretta handgun, and three pump action pistols, according to the breakdown.

“650 7.62mm special bullets, 50 AK47 magazines, two 9mm rounds, six 7.62 NATO rounds, and five fragmentation jackets.

Along with 133 animals, 15 automobiles, 12 motorbikes, 12 bicycles, five mobile phones, 12 cutlasses, two generator sets, two gas cylinders, N602,000, and N8,000 worth of Airtel airtime were also found, according to the report.

According to Buba, the Operation Delta Safe soldiers refuted claims made by oil thieves that their seizures in the South-South zone were worth an estimated N946.38 million.

According to him, the soldiers found 496,250 litres of stolen crude oil, 83,400 litres of illegally refined AGO, 1,200 litres of PMS, four pumping units, five speed boats, 34 dugout pits, 57 storage tanks, 16 wooden boats, 85 ovens, and three outboard motors.

He claims that the military’s objective to combat terrorist and other violent extremist groups in the nation is still the same.

“The military will continue with aggressive operations to force these groups into submission,” he continued.

According to the defence spokesman, Operation Hadin Kai troops were taking part in ambushes, raids, rescue missions, battle patrols, attacks, and cordon and search operations in the North East theatre.

In the North West and North Central, he said, troops from Operations Hadarun Daji, Safe Haven, Whirl Punch, and Whirl Stroke had likewise maintained aggressive stances against bandits and other criminals.

He claims that during the time period under consideration, Operation Whirl Stroke forces carried out 22 missions, 13 battle patrols, 6 confidence-building patrols, and 1 raid operation.

According to him, the villages of Mbaayande, Mbamazu, and Mbaagudu in Benue’s Konshiga Local Government Area were included in the coverage.

“In the South East region, troops from Joint Task Force Operations UDO KA and Operation Search and Flush maintained pace in the struggle against insecurity.

“In the local government areas of Ikwo and Ihiala in the states of Ebonyi and Anambra, respectively, troops detained five alleged IPOB/ESN terrorists.

“The military will continue to make progress towards protecting civilian safety and reestablishing security throughout the nation through its operations.

“Citizens are encouraged to know something, say something, and let the military do something about it,” Buba added.