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

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 “ten soldiers had paid the supreme price,” in the ongoing clearance operations in the course of three months.

Mr 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.

Mr Azuikpe said 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, Gun trucks, 18 seater bus and 60 Commando Mortar bombs, among others.

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

“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.

(NAN)