Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji at the weekend eliminated 50 armed bandits in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, the Nigerian military has said.
The onslaught against the bandits comes as the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, commended the military over the gallantry displayed in repelling Boko Haram fighters who attacked Gujba on Saturday.
A military update issued by the Directorate of Defence Media Operations (DDMO) said following intelligence, the troops, with close air support, engaged bandits in a gun battle at Kuriya village.
“In the course of the encounter, several bandits were killed in action while four soldiers sustained injuries. Human intelligence confirmed that no fewer than 50 armed bandits were killed in the encounter.
“Equally, troops recovered 272 livestock from the bandits,” it said.
Also, troops deployed in Dunya village of Danmusa Local Government Area of Katsina State, while on routine patrol recovered 62 livestock from armed bandits who fled into the bush on sighting them.
“Currently, the gallant troops have continued to dominate the theatre of operation with aggressive patrols to deny criminals freedom of action.
“The military high command commends the gallant troops for the feats recorded and encouraged them not rest on their oars until normalcy is restored to all troubled zones of the country,” it stated.
Meanwhile, Buni has commended the military for repelling the Boko Haram attack on Gujba on Saturday.
He said the determination of the security forces in pursuing the insurgents was successful and would change the narratives in the fight against insurgency.
“The resilience and gallantry of the military is highly commendable and must be appreciated to spur them to do more,” he said.
The governor called on Nigerians to support the security operatives in view of the security challenges in the country.
Buni assured the troops of the support of the government and people of Yobe State in combating insurgency.
“The government will continue to provide the necessary support for us to have peace in the state” he said.
He called on the people to provide information to government on suspicious movements in their communities.
The military also gave an update on the clash with Boko Haram in Gujba, Yobe State, saying 28 insurgents were killed and others injured in the gun battle.
A statement Sunday by Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko, said troops of the newly-launched Operation Tura Takaibango, a subsidiary of Operation Lafiya Dole, a military counter-insurgency operation in the North-east, has continued to obliterate elements of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province criminals with uncommon ferocity.
Onyeuko said: “The latest encounter with the marauding Boko Haram criminals occurred on 9 January, 2021 at Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State where the gallant troops identified and encycled a Boko Haram criminals ambush site.
“The troops from HQ Sector 2 who were led by the Commander Sector 2 and later reinforced by troops from 27 TF Bde Buni Gari and Special Forces Training School Buni Yadi, tactically outmanouevered the criminals and engaged them with superior fire power resulting in high casualty on the terrorists.
“In the aftermath of the decisive encounter, 28 Boko Haram terrorists were neutralised while few others are believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds.”
He added that one Boko Haram gun truck was destroyed with its occupants and another gun truck captured .
He listed other equipment captured from the insurgents to include two anti-aircraft guns, 13 AK-47 rifles, four extra magazines and a vulcanizing machine.
He, however, said a soldier was killed and another one wounded.
Kingsley Nwezeh, Michael Olugbode