Maj.-Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, says infiltration of foreign mercenaries has significantly escalated the threat posed by terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

Mr Abubakar disclosed this on Wednesday while speaking with defence correspondents who are on a media tour of the theatre of operation in Maiduguri.

He said the foreign mercenaries facilitate tactical and strategic training for these terrorists’ leading use of drones in the theatre. He revealed the arrest of four Pakistani nationals who were involved in arms running with the terrorists.

According to him, the infiltration of foreign mercenaries in the joint operations area has significantly escalated the threat posed by terrorist groups like ISWAP and JAS.

”The recent arrest of four Pakistani nationals, who initial investigations suggest deal in arms running with terrorists, is instructive.

”It suffices to mention that the foreign mercenaries facilitate tactical and strategic training for these terrorists,” he said.

The theatre commander said the recent development of armed drones for attacks on troops potentially illustrated the refinement of the terrorist tactics, techniques, and procedures by mercenaries.

He added that the terrorists’ use of advanced improvised explosive device fabrication and placement of public traps further demonstrated the influence of the foreign mercenaries.

According to him, the growing influence of these mercenaries is evident in the terrorists’ increasingly coordinated assets, resulting in higher casualties among troops and greater equipment losses.

”This alarming trend calls for an immediate coordinated response, including intensified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, as well as strong collaboration between Nigeria and neighbouring nations to disrupt cross-border support networks.

”The Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists are not waging war against the armed forces but against Nigeria,” Mr Abubakar said.

Mr Abubakar said the war against insurgency was an asymmetric warfare that was difficult to fight, urging the media to treat terrorism as a war against the nation.

The theatre commander said that troops, however, had continued to make sacrifices to ensure that communities affected by the activities of Boko Haram/ISWAP were stabilised.

Earlier, the team lead, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Abu-Mawashi, said the media tour was the brainchild of the chief of defence staff, Christopher Musa, to equip defence correspondents with first-hand information of what the military was doing.

Mr Abu-Mawashi said the visit also aims to elicit empathy from reporters who cover the day-to-day activities of the armed forces.

(NAN)