Counter Terrorism Campaign: Air, land operations continue amidst encounters

The air operations sited in the Daggu and Yazza areas of Borno State to clear terrorists’ locations has during the weekend achieved its expected results in the ongoing campaign against terror. 

A report from the Director of Defence Information in the Federal Ministry of Defence, Chris Olukolade (Major General) on Sunday March 2, 2014 has revealed that the mopping up operation by ground forces after air assault has resulted to the death of several terrorists.   Adding, civilians were earlier evacuated from the terrorist enclaves in line with operation orders before the air and land assaults. 

“Extensive cordon and search of the entire locality is ongoing with a view to apprehending the wounded and other members of the terrorist groups who might still be trying to escape,” he said.

According to him, the troops who have been in pursuit of those who carried out the attack in BuniYadi last week encountered fierce reactions from the terrorists around Mainok and other locations between Apa and Abulum in Borno State.  He also noted that the air and land operations that ensued recorded the death of some terrorists as well as soldiers.

The Director of Defence Information stated that the suspects who are believed to have been responsible for detonating the bomb that exploded at the Bintu Sugar Ngamari area of Maiduguri on Sunday March 2, 2014 which killed many citizens and wounded several others have been arrested and are helping in the ongoing investigation on the incident.  He continued that patrols are continuing over land and in the air around the entire mission area of the North-East towards apprehending and eliminating the rampaging terrorists in the region.

“Meanwhile the campaign coordination cell has in its report, dismissed as untrue the reports claiming that civilians were mistakenly killed in the air operations in some parts of the mission area, as the claim could not be confirmed after the mop up aspect of the operation.  The reports are believed to be part of the design by those bent on discrediting the counter terrorism mission,” he said.

He reported that the Defence Headquarters has reaffirmed its directive that necessary care should continuously be taken to ensure the safety of innocent Nigerians in the operational areas, notwithstanding the fierceness of the encounters.