Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said troops in the first quarter of 2024 neutralised 2,351 terrorists, arrested 2,308 and rescued 1,241 hostages.
The director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, said several terrorists’ commanders are among those killed.
He listed some of the terrorist commanders killed to include Abu Bilal Minuki (aka Abubakar Mainok) – Head of Is-Al Furqan Province (ISGS and ISWAP) and Haruna Isiya Boderi killed on February 21, Kachallah Damina (neutralised on March 24, by troops alongside over 50 combatants).
Others were 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 may be hiding and hibernating. Our aim is to kill these terrorists 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,” he said.
Buba further said troops conducted ambushes, raids, fighting patrols and offensive against the terrorists during the period which resulted in 2,351 terrorists neutralised , 2,308 persons arrested and 1,241 kidnapped hostages rescued.
General Buba said troops recovered 2,847 weapons, 58,492 ammunition and denied the oil thieves of an estimated sum of over N20 billion within the period under 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 are 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.
