The Defence Headquarters has said troops eliminated several terrorist commanders, rescued 37 kidnapped victims, and apprehended dozens of suspects in nationwide operations between August 7 and August 13.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, said this on Thursday in Abuja during the biweekly news briefing on military activities across all theatres of operation.

He said the operations were carried out under the Joint Task Forces in the North-East, North-West, North-Central, South-East, and South-South, with combined air and ground assaults supported by sister security agencies and hybrid forces.

He said, “Our troops have continued to demonstrate courage, resilience, and determination to dismantle terrorist networks, defeat insurgency and banditry, and suppress all forms of criminality. The terrorists’ will to fight has been shattered.’’

In the North-East, Mr Kangye said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai, killed several Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders in Limankara, Pulka, Kareto, and other locations in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.

He said that 16 suspected terrorists were arrested, five hostages rescued, and weapons, vehicles, motorcycles, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recovered and safely detonated.

In the North-West, Mr Kangye said the troops of Operation Fasan Yamma, killed scores of terrorists, arrested 11 suspects, and rescued 17 kidnap victims in Katsina, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Kaduna states.

According to him, a suspected gunrunner was intercepted in the Jama’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State, while concealing an AK-47 rifle and ammunition in a sack of animal feed.

In the North-Central, he said the troops of Operation Whirl Stroke engaged criminal gangs in Benue, Taraba, Kogi, and the FCT, killing several, arresting 13 suspects, and rescuing nine hostages.

According to him, two notorious arms dealers were arrested in Lokoja, while a large cache of ammunition was recovered from an abandoned extremist camp in Taraba State.

In the South-South, Mr Kangye said the troops of Operation Delta Safe impounded 24,575 litres of stolen crude oil, 9,140 litres of illegally refined diesel, and 2,605 litres of petrol.

He added that the troops destroyed illegal refining sites, seized boats and storage tanks, and arrested 34 suspects linked to oil theft, cultism, and kidnapping.

In the South-East, he said the troops of Operation UDOKA, nabbed six suspected IPOB/ESN members and a kidnapper in Imo, Anambra, and Ebonyi states, recovering arms, ammunition, and vehicles.

Mr Kangye, however, dismissed an Amnesty International report alleging extrajudicial killings in the South-East, insisting that the military operates professionally and within the law.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria are not involved in any extrajudicial killings. Such allegations are unfounded and misleading,” he said.

Mr Kangye urged Nigerians to appreciate the sacrifices of the troops in the field, adding that the “troops gave their today for a safer country of tomorrow.’’

(NAN)