The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said troops in the first quarter of 2024 neutralised 2,351 terrorists, arrested 2,308 and rescued 1,241 kidnapped hostages.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, said several terrorist commanders were among those killed in the period under review.
He listed some of the terrorist commanders killed to include and not limited to the following: Abu Bilal Minuki (aka Abubakar Mainok) – Head of Is-Al Furqan Province (ISGS and ISWAP) and Haruna Isiya Boderi killed on 21 February, Kachallah Damina (neutralised on March 24, by troops alongside over 50 combatants).
Others include; Kachallah Alhaji Dayi, Kachallah Idi (Namaidaro), Kachallah Kabiru (Doka), Kachallah Azarailu (Farin-Ruwa), Kachallah Balejo,
Kachallah Ubangida, Alhaji Baldu, among several others.
He said: “We have been collecting intelligence, hunting them and striking them where they maybe hiding and hibernating. Our aim is to kill this terrorist and the infrastructure that supports them.
“Accordingly, we have employed significant firepower to neutralize several terrorists and disrupt their activities.
“The above was achieved through synchronized strikes between the ground and air forces on terrorist enclaves.”
Speaking further, he said troops conducted ambushes, raids, fighting patrols and offensive against the terrorist during the period January to March, 2024 resulted in 2,351 terrorists neutralized, 2,308 persons arrested and 1,241 kidnapped hostages rescued.
General Buba said troops recovered 2,847 weapons, 58,492 ammunitions and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum over N20 bn N20,331,713,910.00 only within the periodunder review.
In a breakdown, he said troops recovered 1,497 AK47 rifles, 33,878 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 12,698 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 948 assorted arms and 5,520 assorted ammo.
Others were 21,573,310 litres of stolen crude oil, 2,723,430 litres of illegally refined AGO, 53,300 litres of DPK and 52,730 litres of PMS, amongst other items.
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