The Nigerian military has disclosed that its troops killed over 102 terrorists and other criminal elements, arrested 345 suspects and rescued 393 kidnapped victims during military operations conducted across the country in July.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-General Michael Onoja, made this disclosure on Friday in Abuja at the monthly briefing on ongoing military operations.
According to the military, the operations, carried out in collaboration with other security agencies and local vigilante groups, also led to the surrender of 57 insurgents and their family members, while troops recovered 59 weapons and 1,811 rounds of ammunition.
The Armed Forces noted that sustained offensives across the North-East, North-West, North-Central, South-South and South-East further degraded the operational capabilities of terrorists, kidnappers, armed militias, secessionist groups and other criminal elements.
It added that troops of Operation Hadin Kai recorded major successes against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the North-East, including the neutralisation of a senior terrorist commander and propaganda chief, Abu Salim al-Barnawi, during a counter attack in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno.
The Defence spokesman reiterated that troops also dismantled terrorist logistics networks, arrested suspected collaborators, rescued abductees and recorded fresh surrenders by insurgents under sustained military pressure.
Onojoa explained that in the North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma rescued 191 kidnap victims, neutralised 33 terrorists and arrested 66 suspects during operations in Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
He said troops also foiled several kidnapping attempts, recovered arms and improvised explosive device components and secured the rescue of dozens of abductees from terrorist camps and attack scenes.
He said troops under Operations Savannah Shield, Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke sustained pressure on kidnappers, arms traffickers and militia groups across the North-Central, resulting in multiple arrests, the rescue of victims and the recovery of weapons and ammunition.
“In the South-South, troops of Operation Delta Safe dismantled 18 illegal refining sites, recovered more than 250,500 litres of stolen petroleum products and arrested suspected kidnappers and economic saboteurs.
“Anti-crude oil theft operations also led to the arrest of several suspects and the disruption of illegal refining activities in Rivers State.
“Troops of Operation Udo Ka sustained operations against criminal elements and secessionist agitators in the South-East, arresting 26 suspects, rescuing 10 civilians and recovering assorted weapons and ammunition.
“The Air Component of the Armed Forces also supported ground operations through precision air interdictions, including successful strikes against terrorist targets in Niger State that disrupted planned attacks and aided rescue operations,” Onoja said.
The defence spokesperson said troops equally expanded civil-military cooperation initiatives through peace-building engagements, public health interventions and community development projects across various operational theatres.
Troops wiped out 102 terrorists, rescued 393 kidnap victims in July – Nigerian military