Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised three Boko Haram suicide bombers and their escorts along the Guduf–Pulka axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Northeast operation Hadin Kai, Lt Col Sani Uba, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the suicide bombers were dispatched from the Mandara Mountains by the Ali Ngulde-led Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad faction of Boko Haram terrorists.
The statement noted that the operation, executed through covert intelligence efforts by troops in collaboration with local volunteer forces, led to the tracking and neutralisation of the suicide bombers before they could carry out planned attacks on innocent civilians.
The statement reads, “Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have successfully neutralised three terrorist suicide bombers following a deliberate, intelligence-driven operation conducted along the Guduf–Pulka axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.
“The operation, executed through covert intelligence efforts by troops in collaboration with local volunteer forces, led to the tracking and neutralisation of the suicide bombers before they could carry out planned attacks on innocent civilians”
It added that during the encounter, suicide vests and other improvised explosive device materials in the possession of the terrorists were recovered and safely secured.
“Troops also inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorist escorts accompanying the suicide bombers,” he noted
According to Uba, the surviving elements fled into the Mandara Mountains under pressure from sustained troop action.
“In the course of exploitation, troops recovered four AK-47 rifles abandoned by the fleeing terrorists, while two motorcycles used by the terrorists were destroyed.
“Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have intensified efforts to detect, track, and neutralise suicide bombers and other terrorist elements operating from this enclave, leveraging human intelligence, communication intercepts, and other intelligence-gathering capabilities,” he said.
Recall that PUNCH on Tuesday reported that troops of Operation Hadin Kai intercepted materials intended for the manufacturing of Improvised Explosive Devices and arrested a suspected suicide bomber, identified as Abubakar Mustapha, in Borno State
According to Uba, the suspect was arrested on Monday by troops of 152 Task Force Battalion in collaboration with other security agencies in the Bama Local Government Area of the state.
He added that the suspect was found in possession of primed IED components, indicating imminent intent to carry out an attack.
However, the Borno state police command issued a conflicting statement, stating that the suspected suicide bomber was arrested by the Police and that the items found with him are not IEDs.
