Over 300 terror-suspects have been killed in renewed onslaught by the military across the Northeast and Northwest theatres of operations.
Insurgents were also denied logistics access with hundreds of their firearms, communication gadgets, fuel, food and bombs seized.
In the Northeast, the Commander Sector 2, Operation HADIN KAI, Brig.-Gen. Beyidi Martins, said troops neutralised more than 250 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters during sustained clearance operations in Yobe and parts of southern Borno.
Speaking during a news conference in Damaturu yesterday, Gen Martins said troops carried out coordinated offensives in terrorist enclaves within the Timbuktu Triangle, including Buk, Chileria, Kafa, Abbagajiri and Maisani.
He said more than 50 terrorists were killed during operations in the Timbuktu Triangle, Bulabulin Forest and other hideouts, while over 200 insurgents died during failed attacks on military formations in Kukareta, FOB Azir, Gonori, Buni Gari and Katarko.
According to him, troops recovered more than 150 assorted weapons and large quantities of ammunition during the operations.
Recovered items included AK-47 rifles, PKT machine guns, Rocket Propelled Grenade tubes, hand grenades, mortar bombs, motorcycles, communication gadgets and materials used for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
Brig.-Gen Martins said troops also destroyed terrorist camps, detention facilities, IED-making sites and Vehicle-Borne IEDs in several locations.
He said that troops intercepted more than 400 Starlink communication devices allegedly used by insurgents across Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle and other enclaves.
“The lifeblood of terrorist activities is logistics resupply, and we are deliberately denying them freedom to move supplies, communication equipment, fuel and other operational items across the theatre,” he said.
The commander added that troops disrupted over 400 logistics-related networks and arrested hundreds of suspected suppliers, couriers and collaborators.
He said consignments of fuel, drugs, medical supplies, food items and motorcycle spare parts meant for insurgents were intercepted during the operations.
“There is a high level of collusion between some members of the civil populace and the terrorists. Some do it willingly, while others are forced through threats,” Brig.- Gen Martins stated.
He said troops had introduced livestock verification measures in local markets to prevent insurgents from selling rustled animals to generate funds.
Brig.- Gen Martins also said that troops repaired and restored 30 battle-damaged and burnt armoured and tactical vehicles to strengthen ongoing operations in the North-East.
He said the military also procured critical combat equipment, including night vision goggles, surveillance cameras, tactical drones, Starlink communication systems, radios and repeaters to enhance intelligence gathering, troop coordination and rapid response operations.
According to him, troops sustained counter-IED and shoulder-clearance operations along major highways, including the Maiduguri-Damboa and Biu-Damboa roads, to reduce ambushes and roadside bomb attacks.
He added that troops intensified non-kinetic operations through engagements with community leaders, youth groups and religious leaders to improve intelligence sharing and strengthen civil-military relations.
Brig.- Gen Martins said the sector also provided armed escorts for commuters and humanitarian organisations, conducted farm patrols and collaborated with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), non-governmental organisations and vigilante groups to support humanitarian and security operations.
In a related development, troops of 144 Battalion under Sector 4 of Operation HADIN KAI neutralised a Boko Haram fighter during an ambush operation in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Military sources said troops laid ambush at Hyambula following intelligence reports on supplies allegedly dropped for insurgents.
The sources said troops engaged terrorists attempting to evacuate the items at about 4:15am on Sunday.
Items recovered included an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, fuel, food items, drugs, motorcycle accessories and other logistics supplies.
Also, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke arrested three terror-suspect collaborators during raids on identified hideouts in Karim-Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The operation targeted enclaves in Binari, Chibi and Andamin communities following intelligence on criminal activities in the area. The suspects are undergoing interrogation, while clearance operations continue across vulnerable communities in the state.
In the Northwest, troops of Joint Task Force, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, killed over 70 terror-suspects during coordinated air and ground operations in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Sunday.
The military, in a statement by the Media Information Officer of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt.-Col. Aliyu Danja, said the operation targeted a gathering of terrorist leaders and commanders in Tumfa village.
According to the statement, the operation followed credible intelligence on a high-level meeting of notorious terrorist leaders and commanders from across the West African sub-region.
Lt.-Col Danja said the terrorists converged on a concealed location on the outskirts of Tumfa village to coordinate attacks and other criminal activities across the region.
He said Sector 2 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, working with the Air Component, carried out a precision airstrike on the location.
“The strike successfully destroyed the structure, which served as the terrorists’ meeting point,” the statement said.
It added that battle damage assessment confirmed that several terrorists were neutralised, while surviving members fled the area.
The military also said aerial surveillance later detected movements of suspected associates attempting to evacuate casualties, while ground troops sustained exploitation and clearance operations to track fleeing terrorists.
Although the military did not state the casualty figure, conflicting accounts later emerged over the number and identities of those killed.
Security sources quoted by counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama said about 20 terrorists were killed during follow-up operations by troops from Forward Operating Bases in Isa and Shinkafi, which advanced through Kamawara, Kalage, Kalage Jena and Mashema communities before reaching Tumfa village.
Other media reports indicated that at least 72 terror suspects were neutralised by the airstrikes.
However, Amnesty International (AI) claimed that over 100 civilians, including women and children, were killed in the airstrikes, it termed “reckless”.
The organisation alleged that the strikes hit a crowded market in Tumfa and injured dozens of victims, who were receiving treatment in hospitals in Zurmi and neighbouring Shinkafi.
Citing witnesses, AI claimed military aircraft hovered around the area before returning about two hours later to strike the market.
The group described the incident as unlawful and called for an immediate and independent investigation.
It said: “Military aircraft bombed the weekly market at a point it was full of people and without warning. The scene was chaotic. There were screams, blood, and bodies all over the ground.”
The organisation also criticised what it described as a lack of transparency and accountability over civilian deaths linked to military airstrikes in conflict areas.
But the military dismissed Amnesty International’s claims as false.
Director of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, told The Nation that an official statement would be issued to address the allegations.
Meanwhile, troops rescued 13 kidnap victims in Zamfara during ongoing clearance operations in the state.
The victims, believed to be indigenes of Kebbi State, were reportedly rescued by troops of 1 Brigade, Combat Team 6, along Gwashi Road in Bukuyyum Local Government Area at about 7:15am on Sunday.
Sources said the victims had spent several months in captivity before escaping after aerial bombardments around Bagega Forest disrupted terrorist hideouts in the area.
