By SUMAILA OGBAJE

Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised 24 terrorists and rescued nine women and children abducted by insurgents during operations in Borno State.

This was contained in an operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday.

According to the report, troops of 26 Brigade conducted a Search and Rescue (SAR) mission towards the Mandara Mountains, leading to the safe recovery of the kidnapped victims.

The report said the terrorists, suspected to be members of Boko Haram/ISWAP, fired projectiles into Gwoza in apparent retaliation for the operation; it added that no casualties were recorded.

"The most significant engagement occurred in Kukareta community, where terrorists launched a coordinated attack from midnight until about 3: 00 a.m., on Thursday.

"Troops responded swiftly and contained the attack after a fierce exchange, inflicting heavy losses on the attackers, with about 24 terrorists neutralised during the encounter.

"Items recovered from the fleeing insurgents include 10 AK-47 rifles, one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), one PKT machine gun, one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tube, one hand grenade, 15 AK-47 magazines, and three belts of 7.62mm special ammunition,” it said.

The report added that some equipment damage was recorded on the troops’ side, including tyres of a reinforcing combat vehicle that were blown out during the engagement.

According to the report, exploitation of the area is ongoing, while efforts are being intensified to track down fleeing terrorists. (NAN)