Abuja, May 2, 2024 – Air strikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) have killed three terrorist commanders, Ali Dawud, Bakura Fallujah, and Mallam Ari, at Kolleram village in Borno State.
The Defence Headquarters disclosed this on Thursday, adding that several terrorist commanders and their combatants were killed in the past three months during air strikes on terrorist commanders’ enclaves in Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, and Zamfara States,
Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, said during a press briefing at the Defence Headquarters Abuja.
Buba said terrorist leaders’ enclaves engaged in Katsina State include that of terrorist Nasanda and his loyalists in the Zurmi local government area, the enclave of terrorist commander Babaru in Kankara, the terrorist hideout belonging to a senior terrorist commander Kamilu Buzaru in Danmusa local government, senior terrorist commander Ado Ailero and Kamilu Buzaru in Danmusa local government.
Other terrorist Commanders engaged by air strikes, according to the defence spokesperson, include Mallam Yadee at Mariga local government area and enclave of Mallam Umar and several other commanders located in the Alawa Forest of Niger State, the enclave of Abdullahi Nasanda, Mallam Tukur in Zurmi and Gusau local government area and Bello Turji’s Camp in Kagara Forest located between Shinkafi in Zamfara and Isa local government area in Sokoto State.
Buba said the synchronised strikes between the ground and air force in April resulted in over 715 terrorists being neutralized. He said troops also arrested 146 persons and rescued 465 kidnap victims.
He said, in the past three months, troops seized 2,563,335 litres of stolen crude oil, 254,620 litres of illegally refined diesel, 1,050 litres of kerosene and 8,000 litres of petrol.
“Furthermore, troops recovered 937 assorted weapons, and 23,034 assorted ammunitions and denied the oil theft of an estimated sum over #2 bn (N2,572,397,190.00) only.
“Breakdown for the month of February includes and is not limited to the following: 495 AK47 rifles, 190 locally fabricated guns, 43 pump action guns, 151 Dane guns, 11,549 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 6,722 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 511 rounds of 9mm and 941 live cartridges.”
“Troops are conscious and are not losing sight of the importance of momentum when it comes to fighting such vicious adversaries.
“The current situation depicts a strain of tactical achievements in degrading the terrorists by dismantling most of the terrorist infrastructure in the North East, killing the majority of the combatants, and killing a lot of their senior combatants.
“It must be noted that many of the terrorist commanders as well have been taken off the battlefield.
“Ongoing operations have suppressed the terrorists and prevented them from achieving their strategic objectives.
“Troops have equally denied the terrorist freedom of action and disrupted their activities, thereby reducing their effectiveness. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to rid the environment of terrorists and the military is not resting on its oars.” (GBN)
