The armed forces has vowed to remain focussed and committed in the counter-insurgency campaign against terrorist and their cohorts operating across the country.
A statement by Major General Edward Buba, Director, Defence Media Operations and made available to journalists indicates that the armed forces operations have prevented the evil elements from accomplishing their strategic objectives.
General Buba said
troops are hunting terrorist in their hiding places and conducting targeted offensives to destroy them. even as combat teams have neutralised several of the terrorist leadership and their foot soldiers as well as degraded their military capabilities.
During the week in focus, troops conducted ambushes, raids ,fighting patrols and other forms of offensives against the terrorist. These offensive actions resulted in 43 neutralized terrorist and 115 arrests. Troops recovered 87 assorted weapons and 666 assorted ammunition,Buba said.
He added that troops arrested 17 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 39 kidnapped hostages. In the SS, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of One Hundred and Fifty Nine Million Six Hundred and Fifty Two Thousand Six Hundred and Twenty Naira (N159,652,620.00) only.
The breakdown of weapons and other items recovered, General added includes 11 AK47 rifles, one FN rifles, 2 pump action guns, 8 locally fabricated guns, 11 dane guns, 2 locally fabricated pistols, one macarrol pistol, one berretta pistol, one fabricated SMG, one locally made mortar with one empty bomb, 4 IEDs, 17 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 592 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 4 rounds of 7.5mm ammo, one round of 9mm ammo and 36 live cartridges.
Others are: 18 empty cases of 7.62mm special, 2 bandolier, 13 magazines, 6 vehicles, 21 mobile phones, 9 motorcycles, 15 bicycles, 2 tricycles, 5 boafeng HH radios and the sum of N1,601,370.00 amongst other items.
Troops in the Niger Delta area also destroyed 20 dugout pits, 29 boats, 31 storage tanks, one tricycle and 3 vehicles. Other items recovered incl 24 cooking ovens, 3 pump machines, and 25 illegal refining sites. Troops recovered 315,700 litres of stolen crude oil, 1,200 litres of illegally refined AGO and 3,158 litres of DPK.
The statement adds that the military will defeat the terrorist on the battlefield and in their hiding places for the Nation to flourish again.
Biba called on the public to continue to act responsibly and be forthcoming for the progress of our nation.even as he urged Citizens to see themselves as the outstretched arm of the military in the war and to create conditions that would hasten victory.
