The troops subsequently uncovered and dismantled several makeshift camps believed to have served as temporary hideouts and staging points for the terrorists
By Moses Okorie
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have thwarted an attempted ambush by suspected Boko Haram terrorists and dismantled several makeshift camps in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
According to Goni, troops of 27 Task Force Brigade, Sector 2, came under attack while conducting a routine patrol along the Buni Gari-Buratai axis on September 7.
He said the soldiers swiftly engaged the terrorists, compelling them to abandon their positions and retreat in disarray.
Following the encounter, Goni said additional troops were deployed to secure the area, clear the ambush location and conduct further operations around the axis.
He added that the troops subsequently uncovered and dismantled several makeshift camps believed to have served as temporary hideouts and staging points for the terrorists.
Items recovered during the operation included a motorcycle, bicycles, a magazine, ammunition and rocket-propelled grenade bombs.
Goni said no soldier was killed or injured during the engagement, although some military vehicles sustained damage.
“Notwithstanding the damage, the troops remained operational and successfully completed the mission,” he said.
The military spokesman described the operation as another demonstration of the troops’ determination to deny terrorist groups freedom of movement and disrupt their activities across the North-East theatre.
He said the security situation within the area of responsibility remained calm but unpredictable, noting that troops continued to conduct aggressive patrols and coordinated security operations.
Goni also called on residents to remain alert and report suspicious persons, movements or activities to the relevant security agencies.
He stressed that timely information from members of the public remained vital to the military’s efforts to detect, disrupt and neutralise terrorist activities in the region.