Troops kill 14 terrorists, rescue 30 hostages

Troops kill 14 terrorists, rescue 30 hostages

The Nigerian Army said troops of 202 Battalion of 21 Brigade and Mobile Strike Teams  (MSTs) on Operation Lafiya Dole killed 14 Boko Haram terrorists and rescued 30 hostages from their enclave.

A statement by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman in Abuja, yesterday said the troops cleared the Boko Haram terrorists’ enclaves in Abusuriwa, Newchina, Bonzon, Usmanari, Goyayeri, Shitimari, Gashimari, Awaram amongst other villages in Bama Local Council of Borno State.

The operation led to the capture of one suspected terrorist, while the firepower of the troops made many of the terrorists to flee in disarray. “The  troops whose continuous resolve in routing out the remnants of the suspected terrorists hibernating within the Brigade’s area of responsibility ensured that their superior fire power made  the terrorists  to flee in disarray leading to  the capture of one suspected terrorist, while 8 of the Boko Haram terrorists were neutralised.

“The gallant troops were also able to recover 4 AK-47  Rifles, 3 Magazines, 7 Dane  guns and Machetes, amongst other items. “In addition, the troops also rescued three men, 12 women as well as 15 children, among whom were an aged man and a woman held captive by the Boko Haram terrorists.

“The suspected terrorist has been handed over to the relevant authorities for  further interrogation, while the rescued civilian captives are being attended to.”

Usman added that in a similar operation, “troops of 152 Battalion of the Brigade deployed as a blocking force at the Forward Operations Base Kumshe to aid a successful clearance operation ambushed some fleeing unsuspecting terrorists and neutralised five of them,  while troops of 151 Battalion also deployed at the Forward Operations Base, Darel Jamel, neutralised a terrorist in an ambush.”

Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Tukur Buratai, has charged politicians, stakeholders and intelligence community to take over the
insurgency fight from the military, as the Nigerian Army has won the ground war with decimation of terrorists in the northeast.

Buratai gave the charge in Maiduguri, during an investiture of 45 newly promoted Major Generals.He said insurgency, is a difficult war that requires all hands to be on deck for it to be effectively tackled.

The army, according to him, has carried out their tasks proudly and professionally.His words: “What is remaining now is for other stakeholders, which include politicians and members of intelligence community to take up the salient aspects of this war to the remaining ill-fated insurgents.

“The Nigerian police must be fully on ground in all the six states in the northeast. Civil administration must also be re-established in all the insurgency affected Local Government Areas that were occupied by Boko Haram.”

He said that the civil authorities must fight the ideological, social and propaganda wars of the Boko Haram sect group.He said soldiers that were not promoted should not be discouraged, but consider it as a challenge to work harder in the fight against insurgency.He said the army has secured Nigeria’s territorial integrity and equally maintained her sovereignty.