The troops of Operation Whirl Stroke have killed no fewer than five terrorists during separate operations in Katsina and Benue states, the Defence Headquarters has said.
Punch Metro learnt that while three of the terrorists were killed by troops in Benue, two were killed in Kastina.
The terrorists were said to have engaged the troops in gun duels after sighting the military during separate operations in the two states.
The military high command, in a statement by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Benard Onyeuko, also said a total of 24 motorcycles were recovered from the terrorists in the two states.
In a related development, many suspected terrorists were killed by the military on Monday in Sarkin Pawa, the headquarters of Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
The spokesperson for the Coalition of Shiroro Associations, Salis Sabo, stated this in a statement in Minna on Monday.
Sabo said the terrorists attacked the military camp in their hundreds in the early hours of Monday but were repelled by the military.
“The terrorists came in their hundreds trying to dislodge the military base. The military engaged them in a gun duel which lasted for about two hours until the military called for reinforcement and successfully neutralised them.
“It took the military less than 30 minutes to arrive at Sarkin Pawa from Minna in response to the distress call for reinforcement,” the statement added.
Sabo also said there was no casualty on the side of the military.
Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command on Monday confirmed that terrorists abducted nine persons at Dutsinma on Sunday night.
The police spokesman, SP Gambo Isah, who confirmed the incident, revealed that the terrorists struck around 11 pm during a downpour.
Isah said, “The terrorists arrived at the scene of the incident in their hundreds during the downpour. Our men responded to the distress calls and mobilised to the scene. Unfortunately, the terrorists had abducted the victims before our arrival.”
The police spokesman did not give further details, but residents said those abducted included four women and five men.
Recall that terrorists on July 5 ambushed and killed the police area commander for Dutsinma, ACP Aminu Umar, in the Safana Local Government Area of the state.
One other officer also lost his life in the ambush.
