The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops have eliminated 101 terrorists, apprehended a terrorist commander, Usman Maisaje, and 182 others in different operations across the country in the last one week.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, a major general, made this known in a statement on the operations of the armed forces on Friday in Abuja.
Mr Buba said the troops also rescued 157 kidnapped hostages, adding that Mr Maisaje was a close associate of a wanted high profile terrorist leader, Kachalla Boka.
According to him, the arrest has been rewarding in intelligence value as he is cooperating and providing troops with much needed information for further operations.
He said that the troops recovered 71 assorted weapons, and 1,463 assorted ammunition comprising 50 AK-47 rifles, 16 fabricated rifles, five dane guns, five pump action guns and 16 AK-47 magazines.
“Others are 784 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 403 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 164 rounds 7.62 x 39mm ammo, 53 rounds of 9mm ammo, 67 live cartridges, one baofeng radio, 19 vehicles, 23 motorcycles, 35 mobile phones amongst other items.”
In the North-east, Mr Buba said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai, killed 54 terrorists, apprehended 71 suspects and rescued 39 kidnapped hostages within the week.
He added that troops recovered cache of arms, while a total of 74 terrorists comprising seven adult males, 17 adult females and 44 children surrendered within the theatre of operations.
He said the air component conducted air interdiction on terrorists hibernating in Bukar Meram around Tumbuns, killing several terrorists while their structures and logistics were destroyed.
In the North-central, Mr Buba said the troops of Operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke killed 12 violent extremists, arrested 42 violent extremists, and rescued 56 kidnapped hostages.
In the North-west, he said the troops of Operations Hadarin Daji and Whirl Punch, eliminated 28 terrorists, arrested 57 terrorists and rescued 44 kidnapped hostages as well as recovered large cache of weapons.
He added that the air component also conducted air interdictions on notorious terrorists kingpin, Malam Yaddi, enclave and terrorists hibernating in enclaves at Jan Birnin in Birni Gwari area of Kaduna State killing several.
In the Niger Delta, Mr Buba said the troops of Operation Delta Safe discovered and destroyed 60 illegal refining sites with four dugout pits, 48 boats, 52 drums and 38 storage tanks.
He added that 55 cooking ovens, two speedboats, one tricycle, six mobile phones, and vehicles were recovered.
He said the troops also recovered 712,535 litres of stolen crude oil, 76,800 litres of illegally refined diesel as well as arrested 45 perpetrators of oil theft.
In the South-east, Mr Buba said the troops of Operation UDO KA killed seven terrorists, apprehended 12 violent extremists and rescued 18 kidnapped hostages within the week.
READ ALSO: Senator donates operating base to Nigerian Army
“The military will not relent on its plan to kill terrorists and destroy the infrastructure that support them.
“We will increasingly degrade the terrorist military capability and effectiveness through our operations,” he said.
(NAN)
Support PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility
At Premium Times, we firmly believe in the importance of high-quality journalism. Recognizing that not everyone can afford costly news subscriptions, we are dedicated to delivering meticulously researched, fact-checked news that remains freely accessible to all.
Whether you turn to Premium Times for daily updates, in-depth investigations into pressing national issues, or entertaining trending stories, we value your readership.
It’s essential to acknowledge that news production incurs expenses, and we take pride in never placing our stories behind a prohibitive paywall.
Would you consider supporting us with a modest contribution on a monthly basis to help maintain our commitment to free, accessible news?
Make Contribution
TEXT AD: Call Willie – +2348098788999
