War Against Insurgency: MNJTF, Troops Eliminates l 81 Terrorists, 876 Surrenders
… even as troops recovered arms and ammunitions.
By Anthonia Okwuolise
The Defence high command has disclosed that troops operating in the Northeast frontline eliminated about 26 terrorists in the last couple of weeks.
The spokesman, Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Musa Danmadami, who made this known, while briefing the press on troops’ activities and successes at operational theaters within the country’s six geopolitical zones.
He informed that the kinetic and non-kinetic operations conducted at the various theatres are yielding significant results.
According to him, troops of the Joint Task force (Operation Hadin Kai) maintained aggressive onslaught against Boko Haram terrorists and their Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) counterparts, as well as other criminal elements in the Northeast geopolitical zone of the country.
“Between May 18 and June 1, 2023, troops conducted various offensive operations to identify terrorists’ hideouts, enclaves, camps and villages in the forests and mountains of Konduga, Abadam, Guzamala, Ngala, Bama, Dikwa, Gubio, Damboa, Jere, Kukawa and Magumeri.
“During these operations, troops made contact with terrorists, and following a fierce fire fight, troops neutralised 25 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and recovered seven AK-47 rifles, three training rifles, one AK-56 rifle, two K-2 assault rifles, one MC rifle, one pump action gun, two double barrel guns, two locally made pistols, 12 Dane guns, one locally made grenade, 12 AK-47 magazines, 100 rounds of 7.56mm ammo, five rounds of 12.7mm NATO, 172 rounds of 7.62mm special, 31 rounds of 7.62mm refilled and 28 rounds of 7.62mm NATO.
“A total of 876 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and members of their families, comprising 89 adult males, 249 adult females and 538 children, surrendered to troops at different locations within the theatre of operations.”
Furthermore, he disclosed that troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) killed 55 ISWAP terrorists and their commanders at the fringes of Arege, in Abadam Local Council of Borno State.
He said several commanders met their Waterloo during a 22-day operation that ended on May 28, 2023 at Harbin Zuma, on the shores of Lake Chad.
A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, also revealed in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, that 13 vehicles, motorcycles, and five Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIED) were destroyed by the troops.
The Niger Ministry of Defence, also informed that the the operation specifically targeted ISWAP strongholds and their commanders in the Tumbums triangle.
According to a military source in Maiduguri, commanders eliminated in the operations include Fiya Abouzeid, Qaid Malam Moustapha, and other religious leaders.
