The Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJFT, yesterday, said its ongoing Operation Yancin Tafki to rout Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, from the Lake Chad Area had inflicted the heaviest loss in 6 months on ISWAP.
In a statement on Saturday, the spokesman of the MNJTF, Colonel Timothy Antigha, said: “At about 6am yesterday, 21 June 2019, troops embarked on clearance operation to Doron Naira (an island in Lake Chad), in a bid to disrupt ISWAP’s activities on the island and adjoining localities.”
He said troops effectively suppressed ISWAP and successfully conducted the clearance operation.
Antigha added that, at the end of the engagement, 42 terrorists were neutralized, several others escaped with gunshot wounds.
He said two Gun trucks and three Motor cycles were destroyed while two Light machine guns and two AK 47 Riffles were recovered.
The MNJTF also said it lost a soldier while ten others were wounded in action, adding that the affected soldiers had been evacuated accordingly.
Antigha said, earlier in the week, ISWAP also met a similar fate when they attempted to attack MNJTF troops in Sector 1 Foward Operation Base (FOB) in Ngouma in Cameroon.
He said, in that engagement, ISWAP lost five terrorists, while 1 was captured. They also lost 13 AK 47 riffles and two hand grenades.
He also said, the MNJTF conducted air interdictions in Arege and Malkorony in which several terrorists are suspected to have been killed as the Headquarters and logistics base of a top ISWAP commander, Abu Talib was targeted in that operation.