Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intensified pressure on insurgents in the North-East, cutting off critical supply lines and arresting key suspects in Borno and Adamawa in the last week.

This was disclosed in a statement by troops’ spokesman, Sani Uba, on Friday.

Mr. Uba said troops, operating under Desert Sanity IV, intercepted 21 jerricans of smuggled petrol in separate operations around the Mubi axis of Adamawa and uncovered large quantities of urea fertiliser at Mubi Central Market on September 21 and 24.

He said the items were abandoned by the fleeing suppliers, adding that the seizures had dealt a major blow to terrorist logistics and their capacity to produce improvised explosive devices.

Mr Uba said the troops of 73 Battalion, working with the Civilian Joint Task Force and Hybrid Forces, had on September 22 ambushed insurgents at Kolori Karumi near Alau Dam in Borno, killing a suspected Boko Haram scout.

According to him, on September 23, troops of the 112 Task Force Battalion at Ngwom arrested Thomas James, 54, with 23 bottles of petrol concealed in a bag while attempting to travel to Gamboru Ngala.

He said that a preliminary investigation linked the suspect to terror fuel supply networks.

“Also, on September 24, troops of 232 Battalion, in collaboration with hunters, arrested a 31-year-old Boko Haram fighter, Ahmadu Buba, in Garkida, Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa.

“Buba, from Damboa, confessed to joining the group in April and participating in attacks in Mandaragirau and the destruction of Mandahuma Bridge earlier this year,” he said.

Mr Uba said the military high command commended the troops for their resilience and urged them to maintain the aggressive posture to further weaken terrorist networks in the region.

(NAN)