By SUMAILA OGBAJE

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have intensified pressure on insurgents in the North East, cutting off critical supply lines and arresting key suspects in Borno and Adamawa in the last one week.

This is contained in a statement by Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai, on Friday.

Uba said troops, operating under Desert Sanity IV, intercepted 21 jerricans of smuggled petrol in separate operations around Mubi axis of Adamawa and uncovered large quantities of urea fertiliser at Mubi Central Market on Sept. 21 and 24.

He said the items were abandoned by the fleeing suppliers, adding that the seizures had dealt major blow to terrorist logistics and their capacity to produce improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Uba said the troops of 73 Battalion, working with Civilian Joint Task Force and Hybrid Forces, had on Sept. 22, ambushed insurgents at Kolori Karumi near Alau Dam in Borno, killing a suspected Boko Haram scout.

According to him, on Sept. 23, troops of 112 Task Force Battalion at Ngwom arrested Thomas James, 54, with 23 bottles of petrol concealed in a bag while attempting to travel to Gamboru Ngala.

He said that preliminary investigation linked the suspect to terror fuel supply networks.

“Also, on Sept. 24, troops of 232 Battalion, in collaboration with hunters, arrested a 31-year-old Boko Haram fighter, Ahmadu Buba, in Garkida, Gombi Local Government Area ofAdamawa.

“Buba, from Damboa, confessed to joining the group in April and participating in attacks in Mandaragirau and the destruction of Mandahuma Bridge earlier this year,” he said.

Uba said the military high command commended the troops for their resilience and urged them to maintain the aggressive posture to further weaken terrorist networks in the region. (NAN)