By HAMZA SULEIMAN

Troops of the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have neutralised 126 Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in the North-East.

Col. Obinna Azuikpe, the Theatre Command Intelligence Coordinator, made this known while reviewing progress of the operations in the North-East, on Friday in Maiduguri.

He said the troops recorded successes against the insurgents in the ongoing clearance operations in the past three months, adding that, “ten soldiers had paid the supreme price.”

Azuikpe said that the troops under the Operation Desert Sanity conducted 9,163 patrols, 5,553 ambushes and 1,006 clearance operations.

He said the troops successfully cleared insurgents’ enclaves in Afa, Kara, Abullam, Talala Ajigin, Buk Alagarno, Dole, Alafa, Darusalam, Kuraba, Ukuba and Camp Zero.

The troops, he said, also destroyed insurgents’ bomb factories and a major cell used for detaining 150 captives.

Azuikpe explained that the Command also recorded about 81 Improvised Explosives Device (IEDs) attacks across the region within the period under review.

He said that about eight indirect Motar bomb attacks were recorded in Maiduguri, Malam Fatori, Gamboru Ngala and Bama.

He said the troops also recovered arms and ammunitions including artillery guns, Anti Aircraft guns, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), Gun trucks, an 18 seater bus and 60 Commando Mortar bombs, among others.

Also commenting Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa, Theatre Commander OPHK, identified detection and diffusing of IEDs as a major challenge in the fight against insurgency in the region.

“Troops must scan areas where it is conducting patrols before going for any operation, and scan again while returning.

“In spite of these challenges, the troops continued to record remarkable successes in various operations against the insurgents in the North East,” he said.

Musa said the conduct of the Operation Lake Sanity by the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), would further harness the operational gains recorded so far in the theatre.

“From the indices of happenings in the North-East theatre of operation, it is possible that the insurgency will be over in 2022.

“This is because the ongoing battlefield regional counter insurgency efforts have been comprehensively sustained through operation Hadin Kai and the MNJTF’s operation.

“This is with the support from the Air Task Force, Maritime and other security agencies.

“The Chief of Army Staff and other Service Chiefs have been very supportive which translate to the successes recorded so far.

”This also means that President Muhammadu Buhari is supporting them, through the Minister of Defence and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS),” he said. (NAN)

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