March 11, (THEWILL) – Troops of the Nigerian Army, in conjunction with hybrid force elements, on Sunday, March 10, neutralised eight Boko Haram (BHT)/ISWAP terrorists at Ukuba, a notorious terrorists’ enclave in Sambisa forest.
Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Monday, said the operation witnessed a fierce gun battle that inflicted severe losses on the terrorists’ group, compelling them to retreat and abandon their camp in disarray.
He stated that a thorough search of the captured camp by the gallant troops led to the recovery of 5 locally fabricated double barrel guns, 2 motorbikes and assorted foodstuff belonging to the terrorists.
Nwachukwu added that in a separate Clearance operation on the same day in Kankara Local Government Area, Katsina State, troops cleared Dan Birgima, Ungwan Noma, Katoge, and Pauwa Villages.
According to him, during the operation, troops gunned down 2 insurgents in combat and recovered 3 AK-47 Rifles, 8 Magazines, 57 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, 3 Baofeng Radio sets, 12 Baofeng Radio Chargers and one Bandolier.
The troops also rescued a civilian, who had been in captivity of the insurgents for days. Two motorbikes and makeshift structures in the insurgents’ camp were also destroyed by the troops.
Also, troops have cleared Dandalla, Madada, Dogon Karfe, Hayi, Gobirawan and Kango Kuyambana villages in Gusau and Maru Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.
Nwachukwu said the troops neutralised 2 insurgents and recovered one AK-47 rifle, 3 fabricated guns, 2 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition, one motorbike and 2 Solar panels.
Similarly, in the South East, the troops on Sunday successfully raided and destroyed IPOB/ESN fighters’ firearms production factory located between Ekoli Edda and Amagwu Ohafia communities in Abia and Ebonyi States, respectively.
According to him, “The dissidents’ camp, which was used for fabricating firearms and production of ammunition, was fortified with fire trenches/sandbag parapets and powered with a 15 KVA generator.
“The vigilant troops recovered 2 fabricated AK-47 rifles, one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bomb, 2 IPOB/ESN flags, as well as welding and filing machines from the factory.
“These successful operations demonstrate the commitment of the Nigerian Army in combating the nation’s security challenges to enhance safety and security. We enjoin members of the public to continue to support the Nigerian Army, sister services and other security agencies in the ongoing fight against the nation’s adversaries.”
