Troops kill 8 terrorists in Sambisa Forest, destroy IPOB arms factory in Abia

Troops of the Nigerian Army have reportedly eliminated eight suspected terrorists during a raid in the Sambisa Forest and destroyed their hideouts in Zamfara and Katsina States respectively.

This was contained in a statement on Monday the Director of Army Public Relations, Major Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, who also stated that in its determination to bring insecurity in the country to a standstill, troops successfully raided and destroyed IPOB/ESN fighters’ arms production factory located between Ekoli Edda and Amagwu Ohafia communities in Abia and Ebonyi States.

“Troops of the Nigerian Army in conjunction with hybrid force elements, have successfully neutralized eight (8) Boko Haram BHT/ISWAP terrorists at Ukuba; a notorious terrorists’ enclave in Sambisa forest,” the Army spokesman said.

“The operation, which took place on Sunday 10 March 2024, witnessed a fierce gun battle that inflicted severe losses on the terrorists’ group, compelling them to retreat and abandon their camp in disarray.

“A thorough search of the captured camp by the gallant troops led to the recovery of 5 locally fabricated double barrel guns, 2 motorbikes and assorted foodstuff, belonging to the terrorists.

“In a separate clearance operation on the same day in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, troops cleared Dan Birgima, Ungwan Noma, Katoge, and Pauwa villages.

“During the operation, troops gunned down 2 insurgents in combat and recovered 3 AK-47 Rifles, 8 Magazines, 57 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, 3 Baofeng Radio sets, 12 Baofeng Radio Chargers and one Bandolier.

“The troops also rescued a civilian, who had been in captivity of the insurgents for days while two motorbikes and makeshift structures in the insurgents’ camp were also destroyed by the troops.

“In the same vein, troops have cleared Dandalla, Madada, Dogon Karfe, Hayi, Gobirawan and Kango Kuyambana villages in Gusau and Maru Local Government Areas of Zamfara state.

“In the encounter with the insurgents, troops neutralized 2 of them and recovered one AK- 47 rifle, 3 fabricated guns, 2 rounds of Anti- Aircraft ammunition, one Motorbike and 2 Solar panels.

“In the South-East, troops destroyed dissidents’ camp belonging to IPOB/ESN which was used for fabricating fire arms and production of ammunition was fortified with fire trenches/sand bag parapets and powered with a 15 KVA Generator.

“The vigilant troops recovered 2 fabricated AK-47 rifles, one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bomb, 2 IPOB/ESN flags, as well as Welding and Filing machines from the factory.

“These successful operations demonstrate the commitment of the Nigerian Army in combating the nation’s security challenges to enhance safety and security.

“We enjoin members of the public to continue to support the Nigerian Army, sister services and other security agencies in the ongoing fight against the nation’s adversaries,” Onyeama said.

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