Soldiers kill  six ISWAP terrorists, scores of bandits

By Nkasi Kolie

The Army Headquarters in Abuja said its troops fighting the counter terrorism war in the North East have killed six members of the Islamic States of West African Province (ISWAP) and recovered four AK 47 rifles and four Magazines, loaded with 30 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition.

The terrorists, who were on espionage along the Damboa-Bulabulin- Maiduguri road met their waterloo when they ran into a fighting patrol team at Kukawa, who engaged them in a heavy shootout.

Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, who made the disclosure  in a statement, said: “Troops of 25 Brigade operating under the aegis of Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have neutralised four terrorists of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), on Wednesday,  August 31, 2021.

In a separate operation, troops of 195 Battalion, Sector 1 OPHK, in conjunction with elements of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), at Dusman-Muna Garage,  Borno state, have eliminated two ISWAP terrorists in an ambush operation conducted along an identified ISWAP terrorists’ crossing point at Musari village. The troops also captured and destroyed an ISWAP logistics vehicle conveying assorted goods and contraband items belonging to members of the terrorist group.  Items recovered by troops from the terrorists’ vehicle are two bags of Hemp (Cannabis Sativa), two bags of Detergent,120 packets of mosquito coils, 12 mosquito nets and five textile materials. Other items recovered are two bicycles, two bags of beans, a bag of corn and some quantity of fish.

“The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has commended the troops for their operational exploits and urged them to maintain the aggressive posture, in order to decisively root out the terrorists from their enclaves.”

Meanwhile, the ongoing onslaught against armed bandits by the Joint Security Task Force in Niger State has continued to yield results with the killing of scores of bandits in Basa community in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, in the early hours of Thursday.

Although the actual number of the bandits that were neutralised in the operation could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, sources close to the community told SECURITY REPORTERS.com that no fewer than 15 motorcycles were recovered from the bandits by the task force.

The bandits, it was gathered, had invaded Basa community, on Wednesday afternoon, where they looted shops and houses, and carted away food items, but did not kill nor kidnap anybody.

However, on receiving the distress call, the Joint Security Task Force, comprising the Police, Civil Defence, and local vigilantes, stormed Basa only to be told that the bandits had escaped to Magami, a neighbouring community.

The task force, not done with their mission, further chased the bandits to Magami, where they (bandits) were waiting to cross the river, and engaged them in a gun battle which the community said lasted for several hours, leading to heavy casualties on the side of the bandits.

Our source disclosed that the bodies of the bandits killed were left for the community to find a solution to, while the task force returned to their base in Erena community, throwing the entire community into jubilation.

In a similar operation three weeks ago, no fewer than 15 bandits met their Waterloo in the hands of the joint security task force in Iburo, the same Shiroro local government area.

The Police Public Relation of the command, ASP Wasiu Abiodun, could not be reached to confirm the latest development, but the current onslaught on the bandits is in line with the recent declaration of total war against armed bandits in the state by the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Monday Bala Kuryas.