Troops of the Nigerian military have successfully repelled attempted infiltrations by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists into Monguno Town and Bitta community in the Lake Chad region, killing several insurgents, including a senior commander and the group’s cameraman.
The midnight offensive, which took place around 2:30 a.m., resulted in the death of a senior quaid (commander) identified as Ibn Khalid during a fierce gun duel in Bitta, where Nigerian Army troops engaged and overpowered the terrorists.
Confirming the development, the Theatre Commander of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, revealed that seventeen other terrorists were killed in separate operations across Sambisa Forest, covering parts of Madagali Local Government Area in Adamawa State and Kaga in Borno State.
“An unspecified number of the terrorists escaped with gunshot wounds, and our troops observed blood traces along their withdrawal routes,” Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam disclosed.
During the clearance operations, troops recovered a cache of arms and equipment, including two AK-47 magazines, 7.26mm special ammunition, a PKT belt, a rocket-propelled grenade bomb, and a camcorder believed to be used for propaganda purposes.
Monguno Town, located on the fringes of the Lake Chad region, serves as the headquarters of Sector 3 of Operation Hadin Kai and the Multinational Joint Task Force. While civil authority has been restored in Monguno and residents have resumed daily activities, several surrounding communities within the Lake Chad axis remain deserted, awaiting reconstruction and rehabilitation.
