By Kingsley Omonobi
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have rescued three kidnapped civilians and killed two terrorists in separate operations in Adamawa State.
The troops also recovered two AK-47 rifles, ammunition, locally fabricated explosive devices, stolen vehicles and farm produce belonging to residents who narrowly escaped abduction.
The Acting Media Information Officer of OPHK, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
He said the three victims were rescued by troops deployed in Mubi following a distress call from farmers around Dutse-Uku in Mubi South Local Government Area.
According to him, suspected kidnappers abducted a farmer, identified as Happiness Dama Dauda, on November 9 while she was working on her farm and also stole her motorcycle.
Goni said the troops, working with local hunters, mobilised to the area and mounted pressure on the kidnappers, forcing them to abandon their victim and flee.
He added that a sustained pursuit led to the rescue of two other residents suspected to have been abducted earlier, bringing the number of rescued victims to three.
The troops also recovered a motorcycle, a tricycle conveying 15 bags of beans and a Hi-Jet pickup carrying 13 bags of groundnuts belonging to other farmers who narrowly escaped abduction.
Goni said the respective village heads identified the recovered items, which were subsequently handed over to their owners.
Two terrorists killed in Gombi
In a separate operation on November 8, troops deployed at Zangula Kilba Junction in Gombi Local Government Area foiled an attempted attack by suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.
Two terrorists were killed during the encounter, while others fled following what the military described as the troops’ superior combat readiness and tactical resilience.
Items recovered from the fleeing insurgents included two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, 115 rounds of ammunition, three belts of empty ammunition links and two cases of locally fabricated explosive devices.
Other recovered items included a pair of desert boots, a backpack, an Android phone, a wristwatch and N15,000.
Goni said troops had commenced exploitation operations to track down the fleeing terrorists and prevent them from regrouping.
He added that troops were maintaining aggressive patrols and surveillance across the affected areas to prevent further attacks and reassure residents of their safety.
The military urged residents to provide timely and credible intelligence to security agencies, stressing that collaboration between troops and local communities remained critical to tackling terrorism and other security threats.
Operation Hadin Kai reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining operational pressure on terrorists and their collaborators to deny them the freedom to threaten the security and livelihoods of residents across the North-East.
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