By Zagazola Makama
Nigerian troops of 202 Battalion deployed under 21 Special Armoured Brigade Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI have eliminated 13 insurgents affiliate to the Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad faction of Boko Haram during clearance operations in the North East of Borno State.
The 21 Special Armoured Brigade, Bama is under the supervision of Brig. Gen Waidi Shayibu, the General Officer Commanding(GOC) 7 Division of the Nigerian Army.
It was gathered that the Battalion, led by one Lt col. Isaac indiorhwer, in collaboration with civilian Joint Task Force team, stormed the hideouts of the terrorists at Mallum Masari and Gabchari, Mantari, Kanari, Markas, Garin and Baban baba villages in Bama Local Government Area on April 7, 2022, and eliminated them during a shootouts.
Zagazola Makama, a Counter Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad understands that several Terrorists escaped with bullets wounds, while some were caught alive.
The troops rescued 43 women, children and one elderly man held in captivity by the terrorists.
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They also recovered 9 AK-47 Rifle, 6 AK-47 Magazine loaded with rounds of ammunition, many Bicycles and motorcycles as well as some cattle.
One of the terrorists who was caught alive simply identified as Abu Asma’u, said they are Mujahedeens from the faction of Abubakar Shekau who were running from military onslaught in Sambisa forest.
“We are running from the Nigerian soldiers because, they have dominated most parts of our camps in Sambisa forest. We are hiding in this villages because even if we run to the Lake Chad, ISWAP will fight us”, he said.
It will be recalled that the intensified intelligence-led counter Insurgency ground, and aerial offensives by the Nigerian Army; Nigerian Air- Force and regional states Chad, Niger and Cameroon has been sustained on identified jihadist hideouts in the Lake Chad region.
The current renewed sustained operations under Operation “Lake Sanity” and Operation “Desert Sanity” under Operation Hadin Kai in the North East, has depleted the fighting capacity of the insurgents in the past months, with many of them Surrendering to the Nigerian troops.
Those who refused to laid down their arms were said to have migrated to the North West states of Nigeria including Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger and Kaduna states, to join forces with bandits and Ansari insurgents.
Credit: Zagazola Makama
