- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than 86 kidnapped victims have been rescued with attempted ambush by terrorists foiled during a coordinated operations by the troops of Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) in Borno State.
The troops attached to the 135 Special Forces Battalion under Sector 2, OPHK reportedly encountered Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists at Dutse Kura on Sunday while responding to reports of abductions along the Buratai–Kamuya Road.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Media Information Officer for OPHK, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, the troops engaged the insurgents, pursued them towards Mangari, and overpowered them in a follow-up encounter.
This led to the destruction of 11 makeshift terrorists’ structures with eight victims, including men, women, and children, initially rescued in the operation.
“Recovered items include an AK-47 rifle, five magazines with 73 rounds, four PKT ammunition belts, five civilian vehicles, five motorcycles, eight bicycles, and two logistics tricycles. The terrorists’ camp was destroyed after clearance operations,” he said.
Uba said that troops deployed at Mangada also apprehended 29 suspected terrorist logistics suppliers en route to Chilaria area of Borno.
He said suspects were nabbed with two pickup vans and a tricycle loaded with about 1,000 litres of petrol, engine oil, new gun truck tyres, medical consumables, and large quantities of foodstuff.
According to him, the Military High Command commended the troops for their gallantry and professionalism and urged them to sustain the tempo to deny terrorists freedom of action across the North East theatre.