Troops take down 39 terrorists, arrested 173 , and 109 rescue captives.

The Nigerian Army has announced that its troops have killed 39 terrorists, arrested 173 suspects, and rescued 109 kidnapping victims in various operations in the North-East region of the country.

According to a statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, the operations were conducted between August 12 and September 1, 2023, as part of the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts.

The statement said that the troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) and other subsidiary operations under the Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole (OPLD) engaged the terrorists in several clearance operations, ambushes, raids, and air strikes.

The statement read in part: “During the period under review, troops of OPHK conducted a total of 22 clearance operations, 6 ambushes, and 4 firefights with the terrorists. These operations resulted in the neutralisation of 39 terrorists and the arrest of 173 suspects, including high-value targets and informants.”

The statement added that the troops also recovered various weapons, ammunition, and equipment from the terrorists, including 6 gun trucks, 4 anti-aircraft guns, 8 AK-47 rifles, 2 light machine guns, a GPMG, a PKT gun, a sniper rifle, a rocket-propelled grenade, and a hand grenade.

The statement further said that the troops rescued 109 kidnapping victims from the terrorists’ captivity and cleared several villages and towns of terrorist elements. Some of the locations cleared include Mandara Mountains, Ngwom, Kafa, Zannari Galtimari, Kaleri Gana-Gana, and Dalwa West.

The statement also said that the troops repelled several attempts by the terrorists to attack military and civilian locations in the region. Some of the locations attacked by the terrorists include Bama-Dikwa Road, Mainok-Jakana Road, Magumeri Town, and Damboa Town.

The statement commended the troops for their gallantry and professionalism in the fight against terrorism and insurgency. It also thanked the general public for their support and cooperation with the troops. It urged them to continue to provide credible information to the troops to facilitate their operations.