insurgency: Nigerian troops kill 63 terrorists, rescue 370 hostages

Kingsley Omonobi-Abuja and Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Hassan Umoru has disclosed that Nigerian troops have killed 63 Boko Haram terrorists and intercepted suicide bombers within this week alone. Gen Umoru stated this just as he announced that during the operation “our troops came in contact with Boko Haram terrorists at Kudiye and Mijigete where 370 hostages were rescued and brought to IDP camp in Dikwa and 3 rifles and 41 motorcycles were destroyed.”
Making the disclosure Friday at a media briefing in Maiduguri, the Theater Commander who was represented by his Deputy Commander, Major General Lucky Irabor, said that the troops had also recovered many AK47 rifles, ammunition, Anti-Aircraft Gun, RPG, GMPG, IEDs, vehicles and motorcycles among other items from the terorists. General Umoru said, “Our troops conducted a fighting patrol at Afe, Kudiye, Souma, Dikwa Mijigeta, Mida villages of Borno state.
A statement signed by Col. Sani Usman, acting Director, Army Public Relations said, “The troops also cleared some Boko Haram hideouts in Wala, Tirkopytir and Durubajuwe in Gwoza local government area, where they recovered GMPG, locally made Dane gun and a grinding machine. “In Huyum in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, the terrorists sighting troops abandoned their families behind which include five women and 12 children and were currently undergoing interrogation
“On suicide bombers, the commander stated that the troops also intercepted three suspected suicide bombers trying to infiltrate Maiduguri, along Maiduguri Mafa checkpoint of Borno State. He said two female suicide bombers detonated the explosive which killed them instantly, while the male suicide bomber was immediately gun down while trying to run into the troop at the checkpoint.
“General Hassan Umoru commended the efforts of the troops and renewed call for the troops and the public to be more vigilant and security conscious at all times, especially at checkpoints, worship centre, markets, motor parks and schools. Meanwhile, The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has established a Special Forces Command to boost its operations in the North East and other internal security operations across the country.
Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar who disclosed this in Abuja while delivering a lecture titled ‘Nigerian Air Force: Challenges and Future Perspectives’, at the National Defence College did not give details on the establishment of the new command, he however said it was part of the planned restructuring of NAF’s operational command to conform with contemporary demands on national security.
His words, “The Air Force is not only fighting in the air and therefore whatever it is that we need to have to fulfill our mandate in the face of the present challenges is what we working toward putting on the ground. We are establishing a new command known as the Special Forces Command as part of ongoing restructuring of our operations.
“The establishment of the Special Forces Command would facilitate the development of NAF’s response capability in both internal and external security operations as well as increase Nigeria’s self-reliance in strategic security operations.” The CAS added that NAF has upgraded some combat units and established new ones as part of its review of its combat operations across the country even as he stated that a Base Defence Coordination Centre which would become operational will be established by the end of January 2016.
“The Nigerian Air Force has taken some policy decisions to enhance our operational capabilities some of which include the upgrade of units and establishment of new ones. Among the upgraded units are the 305 helicopter group and 95 helicopter combat unit among others” he said.
“The new ones include the establishment of the 89 combat group to be located in Bauchi to aid combat operations with air logistics in the North-East,” he said. He said paucity of funds and other challenges had affected NAF’s operations in the years past, the present Buhari administration has improved its operational capability with additional platforms. He further identified internal and external security threats as political indiscipline, insurgency, militancy, state of the economy, unguarded Nigerian borders and proliferation of arms as some of the challenges facing NAF.