Soldiers foil terror attack in Borno, recover weapons — Official

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, a joint task force in the North-east, have thwarted a terror attack and recovered several weapons in the Buni Gari-Burtia axis in the Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.

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The spokesperson for the task force, Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the troops were on routine patrol when they encountered the “suspected Boko Haram terrorists.”

The troops, he said, “responded decisively” and forced the terrorists to “withdraw from the area in disarray.”

Mr Goni said a reinforcement force was subsequently deployed, enabling the troops to clear the ambush site and further exploit the surrounding area.

“During the operation, troops discovered and dismantled several makeshift camps assessed to have been used by the terrorists as temporary staging and hideout locations,” he said. “Items recovered include one motorcycle, bicycles, one magazine, ammunition and rocket-propelled grenade bombs.”

Although there were no casualties on the military side, Mr Goni said some operational vehicles were damaged during the encounter.

“Notwithstanding the damage, the troops remained operational and successfully completed the mission,” he said.

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The military spokesperson said the troops of the task force remained committed to denying terrorists freedom of action, disrupting their activities and protecting communities across the theatre.

“The general security situation within the area of responsibility remains calm but unpredictable,” he said, adding that troops continue to maintain aggressive patrols and other coordinated security operations to safeguard lives and property.

ALSO READ: Soldiers repel midnight terror attack in Borno

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) issued a security alert, warning that terrorists are likely to stage reprisal attacks following the killing of Abubakar Mainok, a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Mr Mainok was killed alongside some ISWAP members in a joint operation involving Nigerian and United States troops.