•Explosion kills ISWAP bomb experts, others

Troops of the North East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have announced the arrest of four suspected Boko Haram-ISWAP collaborators in separate operations in Yobe and Borno states.

Meanwhile, five suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, including an alleged medical officer identified as Usman Dan Fulani, and four specialists in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have reportedly been killed in a premature explosion while assembling explosives in Marte Local Council Area of Borno State.

Sources said the IED experts comprised two Arab technicians and two ISWAP bomb-making experts, adding that the incident occurred while the terrorists were allegedly preparing IEDs for deployment in another suspected planned attack on key military supply routes in the Sector 1 area of Operation HADIN KAI.

According to military sources, troops of Operation HADIN KAI have been directed to intensify patrols, cordon-and-search operations, and precision offensives around Monguno, Marte and Gamboru Ngala to prevent the terrorist groups from regrouping or rebuilding their IED capability.

However, in one of the operations, troops of the 159 Battalion under Sector 2 arrested two suspected terrorist collaborators during a cordon-and-search operation in Geidam Town, Yobe State, on Monday.

The Ag. Military Information Officer of OPHK, Capt. Mohammed Goni, said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects supplied hard drugs and other logistics to Boko Haram terrorists, thereby facilitating insurgent activities.

“Items recovered from them included a large quantity of suspected Indian hemp, multiple mobile phones of different brands, including Tecno, Itel, Maxfone and Android devices, power banks, scissors, knives, torchlights, lighters, cigarette rolls, Pregabalin capsules, Piscof syrup, National Identity Card, Permanent Voter’s Card, ATM cards, and N14,530 only,” Goni said.

He disclosed that in the other operation conducted at about 3:30 p.m. on the same day, troops of Sector 3 Garrison, alongside 242 Reconnaissance Battalion, also arrested two suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers in Monguno Town in Borno State following sustained surveillance of terrorist supply routes.

Goni said the suspects confessed to conveying food items and other supplies to ISWAP terrorists operating at KwatanDowoshi Village in Kukawa Local Council Area.

He added that “troops recovered 11 cartons and 192 sachets of assorted biscuits, one carton of Peak Milk, nine bars of Viva soap, six headlamps, two bags and 16 rolls of sachet garri, three packs of lighters, two Tecno button phones, one assault knife, one charm belt, four prayer beads, six packs of herbal medicine and N6,600, among others.”

More so, troops of 222 Battalion on routine patrol along the Gezuwa axis in Konduga Local Council Area intercepted 20 suspected family members of Jama’atuAhlis Sunna Lidda’awatiwal-Jihad (JAS) terrorists, who had fled their enclave following intense military pressure, he said.

“The intercepted group comprised nine women, two men, eight female minors and one male minor. During preliminary investigation, they disclosed that they escaped from Gezuwa after a military offensive against their settlement,” Goni said.

“The individuals have since been handed over to the 21 Military Intelligence Regiment for further profiling and necessary action. The arrested suspects and all recovered exhibits have been handed over to the appropriate military intelligence units for further investigation and exploitation.”