The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Thursday confirmed that troops have eliminated a notorious terrorist commander, Munzur Ya Audu, and 115 others in the North East during a well-executed operation as part of renewed efforts to end insurgency in the country.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, disclosed this in Abuja while briefing Defence Correspondents on the ongoing military operations across various theatres of operations as of November 21, 2024.
According to him, troops also lost eight soldiers, five in the North-East and three in the South East and rescued 138 hostages within the week.
In the fight against oil theft, troops arrested 51 suspects and recovered stolen crude worth N921,847,146.000.
“The aim of the armed forces in the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency war remains to find and destroy the terrorists and their cohorts wherever they may be hiding in our country,” he said.
“In achieving this aim, we recognise the need to continue to act and respond forcefully against terrorists.
“Accordingly, we are collecting intelligence, hunting them, and striking locations in which they are confirmed to be hibernating. For instance, troops killed a notorious terrorist commander named Munzur Ya Audu in the North East through well-executed operations.
“Furthermore, serious efforts have been emplaced to dismantle the military capabilities as well as destroy the terror networks of these groups
“Troops are also actively targeting terrorist logistics bases and other structures that have affiliations with terror groups.”
He explained that during the week, troops recovered undetonated weapons and 3,825 assorted rounds of ammunition. The breakdown includes: one GPMG, two PKT guns, 68 AK-47 rifles, two AK-56 rifles, 24 fabricated rifles, 28 Dane guns, one fabricated revolver pistol, six locally made pistols, one pistol, eight pump-action guns, one hand grenade, four fabricated hand grenades, one RPG bomb, and three explosives.
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Thursday confirmed that troops have eliminated a notorious terrorist commander, Munzur Ya Audu, and 115 others in the North East during a well-executed operation as part of renewed efforts to end insurgency in the country.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, disclosed this in Abuja while briefing Defence Correspondents on the ongoing military operations across various theatres of operations as of November 21, 2024.
According to him, troops also lost eight soldiers, five in the North-East and three in the South East and rescued 138 hostages within the week.
In the fight against oil theft, troops arrested 51 suspects and recovered stolen crude worth N921,847,146.000.
“The aim of the armed forces in the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency war remains to find and destroy the terrorists and their cohorts wherever they may be hiding in our country,” he said.
“In achieving this aim, we recognise the need to continue to act and respond forcefully against terrorists.
“Accordingly, we are collecting intelligence, hunting them, and striking locations in which they are confirmed to be hibernating. For instance, troops killed a notorious terrorist commander named Munzur Ya Audu in the North East through well-executed operations.
“Furthermore, serious efforts have been emplaced to dismantle the military capabilities as well as destroy the terror networks of these groups
“Troops are also actively targeting terrorist logistics bases and other structures that have affiliations with terror groups.”
He explained that during the week, troops recovered undetonated weapons and 3,825 assorted rounds of ammunition. The breakdown includes: one GPMG, two PKT guns, 68 AK-47 rifles, two AK-56 rifles, 24 fabricated rifles, 28 Dane guns, one fabricated revolver pistol, six locally made pistols, one pistol, eight pump-action guns, one hand grenade, four fabricated hand grenades, one RPG bomb, and three explosives.
Other items recovered include: “2,093 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 246 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 317 rounds of 7.62mm GPMG/PKM ammo, 129 live cartridges, 28 shotgun cartridges, 500 empty cases of MG ammo, 147 empty cases of 7.62mm ammo, three empty cases of cartridges, 54 magazines, three Baofeng radios, three handheld radios, one bandolier, 12 vehicles, 24 motorcycles, 11 bicycles, 51 mobile phones, and the sum of N7,245,500.00, amongst other items.”
“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 78 crude oil cooking ovens, 21 dugout pits, 56 boats, 56 drums, 26 storage tanks, and 56 illegal refining sites,” he said. Other items recovered include two speedboats, one barge, two tricycles, one pumping machine, two walkie-talkies, two outboard engines, nine mobile phones, and 12 vehicles, among others. Troops recovered 872,070 litres of stolen crude oil and 67,985 litres of illegally refined AGO.”
He declared that, based on these achievements, it was clear that the troops’ focus was on fighting terrorists across the country.
“Accordingly, the air force has been striking the terrorist enclaves with air attacks. Troops have also exerted significant military power on areas in which the terrorists are hibernating,” he added.
“There is no gainsaying that we are at war against a cruel and vicious enemy. It is therefore imperative that we degrade their military capability and effectiveness.”Troops are mission-focused, prepared, and motivated to win the war against terrorism. We recognise that it is a difficult task and that there would be casualties. We are doing our possible best to minimise casualties.
“On the whole, it is our pride as a force to place ourselves in harm’s way in order to protect our citizens. We are fully committed to defeating all threats to ensure that citizens live in a safer and more secure environment. This is the sacrifice we make as a force for our nation.”
