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Neutralises 50 terrorists
From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Military troops of the Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have halted separate attacks on their locations in Borno and Yobe towns by Boko Haram terrorists.
Dozens of terrorists targeting military positions launched coordinated attacks in Mafa, Dikwa, and Gajibo, all in Borno State, between Wednesday night and early Thursday. The terrorists similarly invaded Katarko, a community in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State, at the same time.
Spokesman of the military operation in the northeast (OPHK), Lt. Col. Sani Uba, disclosed in a statement that intelligence showed the terrorists that carried out attacks in Borno towns “manoeuvred” from the Cameroon axis, while the attackers of the Yobe community emerged from a major Boko Haram enclave in Borno known as Timbuktu Triangle.
Uba said the synergy among the ground troops, the air component of the operation, and the intelligence team helped in weakening the terrorists, with 50 of them neutralised in the hot battle.
“The coordinated offensive response was supported by air platforms of the Air Component Command of OPHK. The precision strikes, coupled with enhanced battlefield awareness provided by Theatre Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, gave troops additional leverage and impetus to respond with overwhelming and lethal force.
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“The combined ground and air efforts resulted in the neutralisation of over 50 terrorists across all the locations. Troops also recovered 38 AK-47 rifles, 7 PKT machine guns, 5 RPG tubes, 2 GPMGs, and hand grenades,” he disclosed.
While the battles in Mafa and Dikwa raged, shootings from the terrorists’ Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) and armed drones triggered fires which burnt some houses in the areas, according to the spokesman.
He also said some troops were wounded in the battles but are now in stable condition.
Borno Governor Babagana Zulum, who arrived in the state on Thursday morning from a foreign trip, moved to the affected towns to assess the situation and meet community members.
Boko Haram terrorists and its splinter group, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have stepped up attacks in Borno since September. The military has also renewed its clearance operations in the last week, targeting the terrorists’ hideouts.
