The military high command said on Thursday that troops have been eliminating insurgents and criminal elements in the past two weeks with renewed vigour in their notorious hideouts in villages and forests .
Major General Benard Onyeuko the Director Defence Media Operations disclosed this during the biweekly press briefing in Abuja. He said that ” troops and other security agencies have and will continue to maintain their stand in the efforts to deny criminal elements freedom of actions.
He said troops operations had recorded significant results in the last 2 weeks adding that “some of the operations were conducted at different locations in towns, villages and forests under; Konduga, Mafa, Dikwa, Gwoza, Bama, Bayo, Kukawa, Monguno, Nganzai and Damboa LGAs of Borno as well as locations in the Sambisa forest.
“Troops also recorded significant results at various locations in Adamawa and Yobe States, around the Mandara Mountain and along Damaturu – Potuskum road, respectively.
“Notably, ground troops with the support of the Air Component aggressively foiled terrorists’ attempted infiltration into Biu town in Borno State. He said that during the encounter, troops neutralized scores of the terrorists and captured their gun trucks and other weapons.
These operations resulted in the total elimination of 37 terrorist elements, the arrested of 17 of them as well as the recovery of 21 assorted arms and 117 rounds of different calibres of ammunition, while a total of 4 gun trucks were captured from the terrorists.
Also in same North East troops rescued a total of 16 abducted civilians within the period while a total of 863 terrorists and their families comprising 136 adult males, 251 adult females and 476 children surrounded to own troops deployed at different locations, including; Banki, Bama, Dikwa, Gwoza and Gamboru towns in Borno State, he said.
The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI scored devastating hits on terrorists’ stronghold at Arina Chiki village in the Lake Chad Basin in Borno State on January 14. that resulted in the neutralization of scores of the terrorist, while several others escaped with various degrees of injuries, General Onyeuko stated.
He said that since January 6 troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI operating in North West had maintained it’s operational tempo.They conducted clearance operations in Gurbin Baure – Shimfada road, Gidan Saleh and Girnashe villages as well as Jibia town in Jibia LGA, all in Katsina State
Other locations where troops conducted operations were; Wasagu town in Danko-Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State and Kara Kalmalo village in Ilella LGA of Sokoto State.
According to the Director, these operations resulted in the neutralization of 12 armed bandits and arrest of 15 including their collaborators.
“Also, a total of 16 assorted arms and 136 rounds of different calibres of ammunition and 114 rustled livestock were recovered by own troops within the period. In addition, troops recovered 3 extra magazines of AK-47 rifle and 4 motorcycles from bandits, while a total of 3 kidnapped civilians were rescued in the course of the operations.