TROOPS of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have eliminated a high-ranking ISWAP terrorist commander, Malam Jidda, along with numerous fighters, during a well-coordinated air and ground offensive in Gujba LGA of Yobe State and the Timbuktu Triangle in Borno State.
The operation was confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday in Maiduguri by Captain Reuben Kovangiya, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Headquarters Theatre Command, Operation Hadin Kai.
According to the statement, the operation commenced on June 9 in the Ngazalgana area of Gujba LGA, with close air support provided by the Air Component of OPHK.
“Malam Jidda, identified as the Ameer of Ngorgore and Malumti villages, was killed during an intense confrontation with troops, who overwhelmed the terrorists with superior firepower,” the statement read.
The statement further disclosed that while some terrorists fled with gunshot wounds, others were neutralized in a subsequent encounter in the Timbuktu Triangle, where troops executed a snap ambush operation.
“During continued exploitation in the Mallamfatori general area of Abadam LGA, where recent operations had been conducted, troops discovered additional bodies of neutralized terrorists and recovered a significant cache of arms and equipment,” the statement added.
Among the recovered items were AK-47 rifles, motorcycles, rocket-propelled gun tubes, magazines, large quantities of ammunition, hand grenades, hand-held radios, and other logistical supplies.
Captain Kovangiya emphasized that the successful operation highlights the efficacy of the ongoing counter-insurgency efforts by Operation Hadin Kai, bolstered by precise and timely airstrikes.
He reaffirmed the Theatre Command’s unwavering commitment to the total defeat of Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents and the restoration of peace and security in the North-East region. (NAN)
