DHQ: 1,199 terrorists surrender as troops eliminate 38 in 2 weeks

No fewer than 38 Boko Haram/Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists including ISWAP leader, Bako, have been eliminated by the troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the last two weeks.

Defence Headquarters also said a total of 1,199 terrorists and their families, comprising 114 adult males, 312 adult females and 773 children, surrendered to troops at different locations in the North-East between October 15 and 28.

The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, said this while giving an update on the operations of armed forces across the country between October 14 and 28 on Thursday in Abuja.

Onyeuko added that a total of 11 criminal elements including terrorists, their informants and logistics suppliers were arrested, while five kidnapped civilians were rescued in the course of the operations.

He said the troops recovered 29 assorted weapons, 166 rounds of assorted ammunition as well as two gun trucks and 622 bags of fertiliser, used for production of IEDs.

He added that some of these feats were recorded at Dar, Kumshe, Wulgo, Chabbol and Kijmatari villages in Borno State as well as locations along Ngala – Wulgo and Nguru – Kano roads.

Other locations were: Dikwa and Mafa villages as well as Ngama village in Yobe.

Onyeuko also said the Air Component had on October 20, scored another devastating hit on BHT/ISWAP terrorist elements at Malam Fatori, on the fringes of the Lake Chad, killing scores of terrorists.

According to him, the feat was achieved on the heels of credible intelligence report and after series of aerial surveillance, which confirmed the convergence of terrorist elements in 20 boats at the location.

“Consequently, air strikes were executed on the target with various NAF platforms, which led to the destruction of the boats and neutralisation of scores of the terrorists, while few of them flee in disarray with varying degrees of wounds.

“Similarly, on October 21, the air component engaged the terrorists in successive air strikes and neutralised scores in Yobe,” he said.