Troops kill more terrorists, capture more weapons in Borno — Army spokesman

  

The Nigerian Army says its troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have eliminated more Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists and captured more arms and ammunitions in an encounter in the  Dikwa axis of Borno.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Yerima, in a statement, on Tuesday, said the troops carried out the operation on Monday.

Yerima said the troops’ sustained onslaught against the terrorists had continued to gain traction,  following the knock by troops of 81 Task Force Battalion, in conjunction with the Civilian Joint Task Force and Vigilante in the axis.

He said the troops had conducted an aggressive fighting patrol and concealed picketing in continuation of the ongoing subsidiary operation code named,  operation “TURA TAKAI BANGO. (Push comes to shove).

According to him, the troops on patrol came in contact with terrorists mounted on motor cycles and a gun truck, swiftly engaged them in a fierce firefight, killing six of them and recovering  several weapons, ammunitions and sundry items.

“Items captured in the encounter included, one PKM, two AA47 rifles, one FN rifle, three FN rifle magazines, two AK47 rifle magazines, 36 rounds of 7.62mm NATO,19 rounds of 7.62mm special and 67 PKM linked rounds.

“Others were two motor cycles, one magazine pouch, two mobile handsets and a tube of adhesive solution,” he said.

Yerima also disclosed that troops of Bravo Company, while on similar routine perimeter patrol same day, recovered a mobile handset phone suspected to have been abandoned by the fleeing members of the terrorists, who came under troops heavy fire during the attempt to infiltrate the camp on March 14.

He said that the handset had been handed over to 7 Military Intelligence Brigade for scrutiny.

“In line with the directive of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, troops will remain resolute and determined to ensure that the general area was completely cleared and protected, while aggressively dominating every route where terrorists are suspected to move around in order to smoke them out,” he said.