THE GUARDIAN
Troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN), in the last one week, have eliminated 99 terrorists and apprehended 198 others in different operations across the country.
Defence Headquarters (DHQ) disclosed this through the Director, Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj-Gen.Edward Buba, who briefed newsmen, yesterday, on the operations of the military in Abuja.
Buba said the troops also rescued 139 hostages and recovered 141 assorted weapons and 1,463 ammunitions in Northeast, North Central and Northwest theatres of operation.
The breakdown of recovered items, according to him, include one General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), one GT-3 gun, one assault rifle, 49 AK-47 rifles, one Josef Magnum Pump Action gun, one double barrel gun and two single barrel guns.
Others are nine locally-made pistols, 13 dane guns, one hand grenade, seven locally-made rifles and two locally-made hand grenades. In the Northeast, he said troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), on November 17, apprehended three suspected terrorists’ collaborators in Gujba Local Council of Yobe.
He added that the suspects claimed to have been coerced to go on the errand by terrorists. Buba said 108 terrorists and their families, comprising 13 adult males, 32 adult females and 63 children, surrendered to troops between November 17 and 23 within the theatre of operations.
The troops neutralised 19 terrorists, arrested 21 and rescued eight hostages within the week across the theatre, he noted. In the North Central, Buba said the troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) neutralised three terrorists, apprehended 32 and rescued eight hostages, as well as recovered various types of arms and ammunition, among other items.
He added that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) raided suspected criminal hideouts in Takum and Katsina-Ala local councils of Taraba and Benue states, neutralised two terrorists, arrested nine and rescued three hostages.
