The Defence Headquarters said troops have eliminated no fewer than 213 terrorists and arrested 283 others in different theatres of operation across the country in the last week.
A statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Edward Buba, on Thursday in Abuja said troops within the period also apprehended 67 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 26 kidnapped hostages.
According to Buba, the troops also recovered 189 assorted weapons and 4,003 assorted ammunition, comprising 111 AK-47 rifles, G3 rifles, 31 locally fabricated guns, five pump-action guns, automatic pump-action guns, and 26 Dane guns, among others.
Also recovered were 2,766 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 982 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 240 live cartridges, two shotgun cartridges, 13 rounds of 9mm ammo, and 36 empty cases of 7.62mm ammo.
In the North East, Buba said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai, neutralised 70 terrorists, arrested 23 Boko Haram-ISWAP terrorists and recovered one G3 rifle, 50 AK-47 rifles, 1,012 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 243 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 13 motorcycles and 10 bicycles, amongst others.
He said that a total of 472 ISWAP/JAS terrorist fighters and their families, comprising 26 adult males, 146 adult females and 300 children, surrendered to troops within the theatre of operations.
He added that the air component conducted air neutralisation of several ISWAP/JAS terrorists and destroyed their logistics within the Southern Tumbuns.
According to him, in the North Central, the troops of operations Safe Haven and Whirl Stroke neutralised nine insurgents and arrested 18 violent extremists within the week. They also recovered several arms, ammunition and other items.
In the North West, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji neutralised 26 terrorists and rescued 15 kidnapped hostages during the week. He said the air component had, on March 5, knocked out terrorists’ commanders and their foot soldiers hibernating in Southern Tsaskiya in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Buba further said that troops of Operation Whirl Punch neutralised 17 insurgents, arrested 42 violent extremists and terrorists and rescued nine kidnapped hostages.
Air interdiction was also conducted against terrorist commander Alhaji Labi’s enclave in Gaude Forest, Kaduna State.
In the South-South, Buba said troops of Operation Delta Safe discovered and destroyed 45 illegal refining sites with 150 dugout pits, 30 boats, 73 storage tanks, 209 drums and 15 vehicles.
He added that the troops recovered 1.2 million litres of stolen crude oil, 313,780 litres of illegally refined AGO and 13,000 litres of PMS during the week.
In the South East, Buba said troops of Operation UDO KA, neutralised 26 terrorists and recovered three G3 rifles, 12 AK-47 rifles, one fabricated gun, two pump-action guns, automatic pump-action guns, RPG bombs and 269 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo.
Troops neutralise 213 terrorists, apprehend 283 others – DHQ
