The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops of the armed forces on internal operations neutralised 217 terrorists and apprehended 574 others in February.

The director of defence media operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye disclosed this in a statement on the operations of the armed forces across the country on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Kangye also revealed that 320 kidnapped hostages were rescued, while 152 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists’ combatants and their families surrendered to the troops within the period.

He said the military also recovered an impressive haul of weapons and ammunition, totalling 296 assorted weapons and 7,245 rounds of ammunition.

According to him, the weapons comprise 159 AK-47 rifles, 54 locally fabricated guns, 36 Dane guns, 19 pump-action guns, 4,836 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 1,506 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 235 cartridges, along with 28 assorted arms and 668 assorted ammunition.

Mr Kangye said the armed forces performed joint operations in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), other security agencies, and hybrid forces.

He said the operations include fighting and confidence-building patrols, raids, ambushes, clearances, and search and rescue missions.

“In the course of these operations, several terrorists were neutralised, their collaborators apprehended, kidnapped victims rescued, and surrendered terrorists received.

“We also apprehended gunrunners, oil theft perpetrators, and other violent extremists.

“Additionally, there were multiple close air support operations, armed reconnaissance patrols, and air interdiction missions,” he said.

The defence spokesman said the troops successfully thwarted oil theft operations worth approximately N2.1 billion and apprehended 122 perpetrators.

He said troops recovered 1.7 million litres of stolen crude oil, 402,936 litres of illegally refined diesel, and 600 litres of DPK within the month.

According to him, all arrested individuals, recovered items, and rescued hostages were handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action.

Mr Kangye said successes in February resulted from the tireless efforts of troops engaged in operations across the country’s troubled zones.

He assured the public that the military would continue to discharge its constitutional duty of safeguarding the lives and property of all Nigerians.

(NAN)