Troops of the Nigerian Army’s Sector 2 of “Operation Hadin Kai” have killed four Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and rescued passengers who were kidnapped in Buni Yadi, Yobe State.
In a statement issued yesterday by a counter-insurgency and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, the encounter took place in Lamisuri village within the Gujba local government area, based on verified intelligence sources.
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He said last Friday, at approximately 10am, armed terrorists using a tricycle and motorcycles intercepted and commandeered several vehicles transporting passengers on the route leading to the Yobe State College of Agriculture near Buni Yadi.
In a swift response, a military patrol team was deployed to pursue the terrorists, following the escape route identified through intelligence.
The team successfully located a hijacked vehicle, a green Volkswagen Golf with the registration number BBU 353 HD, transporting two women and children who were left behind due to the military’s proactive pursuit.
After ensuring the safety of the abandoned passengers and securing the vehicle, the patrol team continued their mission to track down the remaining terrorists and recover the other hijacked vehicles and passengers.
The troops’ persistence led them to Lamisuri village, where they engaged the terrorists in a confrontation. During the operation, four terrorists were eliminated, and a tricycle carrying stolen food items was retrieved. Some of the assailants managed to escape with injuries sustained from the exchange of fire.
He said the remaining two hijacked vehicles were not found at the scene, evidence suggested they had moved towards the Meleri community near Goniri village.
The military team pursued the vehicle tracks to Meleri village, where credible information indicated that one vehicle was headed towards Buni Yadi, while the other was observed travelling towards Damaturu via Katarko village.