Military kills 39 terrorists, makes 157 arrests, and frees 109 hostages

In a variety of operations over the past two weeks, military personnel have killed 39 terrorists, detained 159 more, and freed 109 captives.

At a biweekly news briefing on military activities around the nation on Thursday in Abuja, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, director of the defence media operations, made this statement.

According to him, in the northeastern Local Government Areas of Gwoza and Tarmuwa in the states of Borno and Yobe, respectively, Operation Hadin Kai forces ambushed and detained Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters.

In Borno’s Gwoza district, he said that the offensive forced some terrorists to surrender and killed others, freed hostages, and recovered weapons and ammunition.

In another operation, he continued, troops captured 45 people, neutralised 11 terrorists, freed 34 hostages, and discovered a sizable stockpile of weapons and ammunition.

He claimed that soldiers found six AK47 weapons, a HK21, a GPMG, a fake gun, 11 AK47 magazines, and 34 rounds of special 7.62mm ammo.

Additionally, they found five motorcycles, eight mobile phones, N368, 950, one bandolier, 17 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, seven empty cases of 7.62mm special, and seven empty 7.62mm special cases.

The air component of the operations, according to Buba, targeted and destroyed terrorist strongholds at Wulde in Borno, and the outcome was being closely watched.

In the North Central, he claimed, Operation Safe Haven forces neutralised two gunman, freed three hostages, and detained 15 criminal suspects during that time.

He claimed that two individuals were detained by the army in Kaduna State’s Jema’a Local Government Area, one of whom was a prominent armed robber on a security agency’s wanted list.

He claims that troops found 41 rounds of special 7.62mm ammunition as well as three AK47 weapons, one fake AK47 rifle, one fake handgun, and one Dane gun in the state.

In addition to arresting a member of a prominent violent extremist organisation in Benue’s Ukum Local Government Area, Operation Whirl Stroke the North Central also eliminated terrorists and freed hostages.

Buba reported that forces neutralised two terrorists, detained 11 suspects, freed six hostages, and found one FN rifle and five 7.62mm NATO ammunition.

The defence spokesman reported that during Operation Hadarin Daji, troops in the northwest killed 12 terrorists, detained 33 others, freed 40 hostages, and seized three AK-47 weapons, 18 motorcycles, and three cell phones.

Buba also disclosed to reporters that the military operation’s air component had engaged in an interdiction of terrorists at Sububu Forest in the Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State and had reduced militants there. (NAN)