More than 252 Boko Haram/Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists have been eliminated by troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the last two weeks in the North East.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major-General Musa Danmadami, made this known at a bi-weekly news conference on military operations across the country, on Thursday in Abuja.

Mr Danmadami said the success was recorded in a series of land and air interdictions at the fringes of various villages and communities in Borno and Yobe.

He said the troops has in one of the operations neutralised 52 terrorists, arrested 14 others and rescued three of the abducted Chibok girls named Jinkai Yama, Falmata Lawal and Asabe Ali.

According to him, they were rescued at different locations with their children and 19 other abductees.

“Troops also recovered two unexploded grenades, 12 AK47 rifles, three FN rifles, five AK47 magazines, one automatic grenade launcher and one hand grenade.

“Also recovered are one AP mine, 86 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, one motorcycle, 16 bows and arrows, seven bicycles and 10 mobile phones.

“Also, a suspected foreign logistic supplier and arms dealer to the terrorists, named Mallam Abatcha Bukar, was arrested with assorted injections, two Automated Teller Machine cards and the sum of N294,520,” he said.

Mr Danmadami said the land and air component had on September 3, launched an attack on identified terrorist enclaves at Gabchari in Bama Local Government Area of Borno and dealt a deadly blow on the terrorists.

He added that the air strike resulted in the killing of a large number of the insurgents, while the land component mopped up the fleeing terrorists.

According to him, feedback from various sources, revealed that over 200 terrorists were neutralised, including five high profile terrorists’ commanders.

“Equally, a total of 556 suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and their families, comprised of 115 adult males, 189 females and 252 children, surrendered to troops at different locations.

“All arrested suspects and recovered items have been handed over to the appropriate authority while the surrendered terrorists and their families are being profiled for further action,” he added. 

(NAN)