Linus Aleke in Abuja
The military said the leadership of terrorist groups operating in the North-east, including commanders and fighters, was in panic mode as the Air Component of Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), continued to deliver precision-guided munitions against identified terrorist enclaves in forests in Monguno and Biu Local Government Areas (LGA) of Borno State, killing more than 26 terrorist fighters at the identified locations.
This comes as terrorist fighters in the North-east Theatre of Operations continued to surrender to the state forces following acute hunger, insecurity and factional clashes within terrorist enclaves.
According to a statement by the Acting Military Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, the coordinated air operations followed credible intelligence, and confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions that identified the movements and concentrations of suspected terrorists.
The strikes, he said, successfully degraded the identified targets and disrupted attempts by terrorist elements to assemble, regroup and operate freely within the theatre.
Goni said: “In one of the operations, an armed reconnaissance platform detected and tracked suspected terrorists around the Aduwa axis in Monguno LGA before identifying a larger concentration within a settlement. Following appropriate operational procedures and authorisation, a precision strike was conducted against the identified target. Subsequent Battle Damage Assessment indicated significant effects on the terrorist concentration, with about 16 terrorists neutralised in two precision strikes.
“The platform continued surveillance of the area and subsequently detected another group of terrorists attempting to regroup away from the initial target location. A further precision engagement was conducted, with subsequent assessment indicating that the identified group of about 10 terrorists had also been successfully engaged.
“In a separate operation around Buratai in Biu LGA, another Operation Hadin Kai air platform tracked a group of suspected terrorists gathered at a location in the area. Following sustained surveillance and the requisite authorisation, the platform conducted a precision strike, which successfully impacted the identified target, taking out about 10 other terrorists.”
He said the operations highlighted the growing effectiveness of Operation Hadin Kai’s integrated ISR capabilities in detecting and disrupting terrorist movements before they can develop into threats against troops and vulnerable communities.
“They also demonstrate that attempts by terrorist elements to conceal their movements, disperse into smaller groups or exploit remote locations cannot be relied upon to guarantee freedom from detection.
“Beyond the immediate operational effects, the latest strikes are expected to further weaken terrorist freedom of action, disrupt their command and control, and place additional pressure on their logistics and fighting formations. This forms part of the broader campaign by Operation Hadin Kai to degrade terrorist capabilities while creating a more secure environment for communities across the North-East.
“The kinetic pressure being sustained against terrorist networks is complemented by Operation Hadin Kai’s non-kinetic efforts, including community engagement, strategic communication, counter-messaging, humanitarian coordination, and encouragement of terrorists and their associates to abandon violence and surrender. The increasing number of surrenders recorded in recent weeks further reflects the growing pressure on terrorist networks and reinforces the message that there remains a credible pathway away from terrorism,” Goni said.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security forces.