The troops have engaged some gang of armed bandits terrorizing residents of Rijana village and travellers along Abuja – Kaduna hIghways and neutralized 45 of them.
Acting Director of Defence military Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while giving a summary of military operations in the past two weeks.He said that “the Air Component of Operation THUNDER STRIKE, carried out air strikes against the armed bandits at their enclaves.”
He said air operations were conducted, “Notably, on 3 December 2021, following credible intelligence report and after careful aerial surveillance revealed activities of armed bandits east of Rijana village along Abuja – Kaduna Highway.
Consequently, a force package of NAF’s platforms was dispatched to take out the criminal elements. The location, which the bandits use as logistics base and staging point, where they perpetrated their nefarious activities along the Highway, was decimated by successive air strikes that yielded devastating hits with heavy casualties.
“During the operation, 45 armed bandits were neutralized and their structures housing logistics items and weapons were destroyed.
“In addition, other armed bandits who escaped during the air strikes were traced to a location 4km southeast of the Kaduna State NYSC Orientation Camp, where 30 of them were killed in air strikes, which also destroyed their structures and weapons there.
“Cumulatively, a total of 6 criminal elements were arrested and 9 assorted armed, 2 extra AK-47 rifles magazines, 13 rounds of ammunition and 6 motorcycles were recovered in the course of the operations” he said.
Also with the period troops extensively conducted multiple land, maritime and air operations at different locations of the various theatres of operations.
These operations includes the December 3rd fierce gun battle in Kala Balge LGA of Borno State, in which troops overran terrorist elements with superior firepower and neutralized no fewer than 26 of them.
But unfortunately we loss some gallant soldiers who paid the supreme prize.”They are our heroes in the battle against terrorism” General Onyeuko said.
Other locations in North East where troops encountered terrorists are; Gombi LGA of Adamawa State, Rann/Rumirgo villages and Biu, Bama, Mafa and Dikwa LGAs of Borno State where some terrorists surrendered to own troops.
“Cumulatively, a total 62 terrorist elements were neutralized and 28 of them arrested, while 54 assorted arms and 144 rounds of different calibre of ammunition were recovered.
Also, a total of 101 rustled livestock were recovered and 20 kidnapped NPF personnel, who were abducted when the terrorists attacked the Police Division, were rescued by own troops at Buni Yadi within the period.
Additionally, troops’ kinetic and non-kinetic operations have continued to drive the terrorists out of their camps into surrendering. A total of 192 terrorists and their families comprising 51 adult males, 67 adult females and 74 children surrounded to own troops within the period, Onyeuko added.