Nigerian army officials engaging Boko Haram fighters who surrendered in the past
ABUJA, April 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The war against insurgents has continued to gather momentum since 2009 with the latest attacks leading to the death of 35 fighters of Boko Haram in Nigeria’s Northeast Borno State.
At least 65,000 people have died in the war against terrorists with more than 2.1 million displaced and critical infrastructure decimated in Nigeria’s Northeast Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
The latest assaults were carried out by the Nigerian Troops of the 21-Armored Brigade, Bama, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) and 199 Special Forces Battalion in collaboration with Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).
The troops hit the enclaves and camps of Boko Haram terrorists during clearance operations in Sambisa Forest where the terrorists were killed and many others captured.
The troops, led by Brig Gen Victor Unachukwu, made the unprecedented incursions into the Boko Haram hideouts in the army’s determined efforts to completely eliminate the Boko Haram insurgents hiding along the fringes of the Sambisa Forest.
The clearance operations began from Awulari and progressed further into other identified insurgent camps around Garno and Alafa in the forest.
The troops further stormed and cleared Izzah and Farisu, where they ferociously engaged dozens of the resisting terrorists in a heavy gun battle.
They overpowered the terrorists after gun battles and recovered several motorcycles, AK-47 rifles and an anti-aircraft gun.
A CJTF member died during the encounter while some women who were held captive by the insurgents were rescued.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters on April 20 reported that its troops had in two weeks rescued 468 kidnapped victims and eliminated 54 terrorists in various operations across the northeast, north central and northwest regions of the country.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Musa Danmadami, said the troops also apprehended no fewer than 122 terrorists, their collaborators and other criminals across the zones within the same period.
He added that 30 of the rescued victims who were injured have been hospitalised while the remaining were reunited with their families.
Danmadami said troops of Operation Hadin Kai conducted a mission at identified Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (Iswap) terrorist camps and enclaves at high grounds, villages and forests within the zone in the northeast.
He said the troops neutralised 24 terrorists, arrested 40 logistics suppliers including one female, four terrorists’ informants and rescued 206 civilians.
According to him, a total of 501 Boko Haram and Iswap terrorists and their families comprising 60 male adults, 176 female adults and 266 children surrendered to troops at different locations during the operations.
The troops also recovered more than 100 AK-47 rifles and over 1,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
“All recovered ammunition, arrested Boko Haram/Iswap terrorists, terrorists’ logistics suppliers, were handed over to the relevant authority for further action.’’
“The surrendered fighters of Boko Haram and ISWAP as well as members of their families were grilled for further action,” he said.
“Injured rescued civilians were given medical attention before being handed over to relevant authority for further action,” he further said. — NNN-AGENCIES
