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Over 13,000 Boko Haram Terrorists, Families Surrender In North East – Army Reveals

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The Defence Headquarters has claimed that no fewer than thirteen thousand Boko Haram terrorists including their families have so far surrendered to troops in the Northeastern part of the country.

The revelation was made by the acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, in Abuja on Thursday, Naija News reports.

Giving an insight on military operations carried out across the country since the surge of the insurgency, Onyeuko said a total of 13,243 have relinquished themselves to the troops.

The surrendered terrorists according to him comprise 3,243 males, 3,868 females and 6,234 children. Onyeuko said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai had sustained aggressive posture with vigour in the North East, which had yielded significant results in the last two weeks.

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Naija News learnt that some of these feats were recorded at Gwoza – Yamtake – Bita road, Gwoza – Farm Centre – Yamtake road, Mandara Mountain area as well as Pulka and Hambagda towns, all in Borno State.

Onyeuko explained further that the series of land and air operations conducted in different locations across the North East theatre had reduced the operational capabilities of the insurgents with several of them being neutralised.

He noted that several others were arrested alongside their informants and logistics suppliers, while more terrorists had continued to lay down their arms and surrender to the troops with their families.

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Onyeuko said: “Cumulatively, within the period, a total of 29 terrorists were neutralised and 13 terrorists including their informants/collaborators and logistics suppliers were arrested in the course of the operations.

“Additionally, a total of 38 assorted weapons and 968 rounds of assorted ammunition as well as 48 rustled livestock among several other items were recovered.

“So far, a total of 13,243 terrorists and their families comprising 3,243 males, 3,868 females and 6,234 children, have surrendered to troops at different locations in the North East,” NAN quoted him as saying.”

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Onyeuko further stated that the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai carried out air interdiction missions to foil Boko Haram terrorists/ISWAP criminal elements’ attack on ground troops’ location at Aulari village in Bama area of Borno.

The encounter according to him, led to the destruction of three gun trucks belonging to the terrorists and neutralised scores of their fighters while several others fled in disarray with varying degrees of injuries.