From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Defence Media Operations (DMO) said soldiers fighting the counter insurgency war in the North East have killed 103 members of the Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa State Province (ISWAP) terrorists in the last three weeks.

The soldiers also arrested 40 terrorists, including four commanders and rescued 30 kidnapped victims.

Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami, who made the disclosure, also said 280 repentant terrorists and their families, comprising 29 males, 73 females and 148 children, surrendered to the military at various theatres of operation in the North East.

Gen. Danmadami, at a media briefing on update on military operations conducted between December 1-22, said the operations have continued to record tremendous successes and denied criminals from carrying out their nefarious activities.

He said within the period under review, soldiers on internal security operations in the South South part of the country destroyed 57 illegal refining sites, 953 cooking ovens, 68 wooden boats, 172 storage tanks and 149 dugout pits. He said the soldiers from Operation Delta State, recovered 445,000 litres of crude oil, 1,043,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil, 22,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, 2,000 litres of Dual Purpose Kerosine, one AK47 rifle, eight tankers, 63 vehicles, two speed boats, one thug boat, 14 motorcycles, one tricycle, three bicycles, 11 pumping machines and three outboard engines, and arrested 21 oil thieves and pipeline vandals. He said efforts of the soldiers denied the vandals of stealing crude oil worth over N700 million.

Danmadami, said: “The land and air components of Operation Hadin Kai have continued to dominate their general area of operation as operational activities were conducted in villages, towns and mountain areas within Damboa, Bama, Gwoza and Konduga, Local Government Areas of Borno State, as well as Gulani and Geidam Local Government Areas of Yobe States, respectively. Notably, on December 1, 2022, troops had a meeting engagement with Boko Haram/Islamic State of West Africa State Province terrorists at Waji Roko in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. Troops with the support of air component engaged the terrorists and neutralised scores of the terrorists, while others fled.

Troops exploited the general area and recovered six AK47 rifles, three FN rifles, two QJC guns, 102 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition, 2,152 rounds of 7.62mm special, 20 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, one RPG tube, one heap bomb, one heat bomb and 1 x 36 hand grenade. Troops also recovered one of the terrorists’ gun trucks and destroyed one gun truck.