The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said troops killed 715 terrorists, arrested 146 others, and rescued 465 kidnapped hostages in April.
The director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, stated this recently during an update on military operations.
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He said troops recovered 937 assorted weapons, 23,034 assorted ammunition, and stolen products worth over N2,572,397,190.00.
He gave a breakdown of recovered weapons as; 495 AK47 rifles, 190 locally fabricated guns, 43 pump action guns, 151 Dane guns, 11,549 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 6,722 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 511 rounds of 9mm, and 941 live cartridges.
Others included 2,563,335 litres of stolen crude oil, 254,620 litres of illegally refined AGO, 1,050 litres of DPK, and 8,000 litres of PMS, among other items.
The director said troops’ commitment to defeating terrorist groups is non-negotiable as it would deny them the opportunity to terrorise or hurt citizens of this country.
He said troops in the month under review conducted offensive operations ranging from ambushes, raids, fighting patrols, and other covert operations.
“Tactically, whenever there is a clash between troops and terrorists on the ground, troops clearly win in the firefight, though sadly in certain operations, casualties are sustained. However, each and every engagement ends with troops victory, with several dead or surrendered terrorists in every location,” he added.
He said the air component carried out air offensives on identified terrorist leaders’ enclaves, including that of Terrorist Nasanda and his loyalists in Zurmi LGA of Katsina State.
He said an air strike on April 13, 2024, killed three senior terrorist commanders (Ali Dawud, Bakura Fallujah and Mallam Ari) at Kolleram Village along Lake Chad.
Also on April 15, 2024, an airstrike destroyed the enclave of terrorist commander Babaru in Kankara LGA of Katsina State.
Similarly, on April 19, the terrorist hideout belonging to a senior terrorist commander Kamilu Buzaru in Danmusa LGA of Katsina State was decimated.
Furthermore, an airstrike on April 20, 2024, neutralised a gathering at senior terrorist commander Ado Ailero and Kamilu Buzaru’s camps in Danmusa LGA of Katsina State.
Other terrorists’ commanders engaged within the period under review include Mallam Yadee at Mariga LGA of Niger State, Abdullahi Nasanda and Mallam Tukur in Zurmi and Gusau LGAs of Zamfara State, Mallam Umar and several other commanders located in the Alawa Forest area of Niger State, and Bello Turji’s Camp in Kagara Forest located between Shinkafi in Zamfara and Isa LGA in Sokoto.
“All the surviving terrorist commanders and leaders are walking corpses, as we would get them, sooner than later.
“Overall, the armed forces are building and maintaining the momentum against the terrorists and their cohorts across the country,” he said.