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From Billy Abel, Yola
Troops of the Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have killed 16 terrorists and recovered firearms and ammunition during separate operations in Adamawa State.
The operations, conducted between September 30 and October 1, also saw troops repel coordinated attacks on military formations in Garkida and Garaha, according to the Theatre Command.
The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters JTF North East, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
He said troops conducted a coordinated ambush against a terrorist enclave in the Boima general area of Gombi LGA, killing 16 terrorists.
The troops recovered three AK-47 rifles, two pump-action rifles, one Dane gun, six AK-47 magazines and a belt of pump-action cartridges.
The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI also conducted a precision air strike after an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform detected about 16 terrorists and 15 motorcycles concealed beneath a tree canopy in Sector 4.
Goni said the target was identified and acquired before the air interdiction was carried out at about 5:30 a.m. on October 1.
“Subsequent Battle Damage Assessment confirmed the successful destruction of the target, while a few surviving elements scattered in disarray,” he said.
Meanwhile, troops deployed to 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha repelled coordinated attacks by insurgents on their positions.
The military said the troops responded with overwhelming firepower, forcing the attackers to abort their mission and withdraw.
However, three soldiers were killed during the engagements, while wounded personnel were evacuated and are receiving treatment in stable condition.
The latest operations came against the backdrop of continuing insecurity in parts of Adamawa and the wider North-East, where years of insurgency have left communities struggling to recover from repeated attacks, displacement and destruction of livelihoods.
For the military, the killing of 16 terrorists and recovery of weapons represent another operational gain in the campaign against insurgency. But for residents, the more difficult measure of security is whether they can sleep safely in their homes, return permanently to their ancestral communities, cultivate their farms without fear and travel without the constant threat of attack.
