The Defence Headquarters Thursday said the troops of Operation Hadin Kai had eliminated over 120 Boko Haram/ ISWAP terrorists in the North East in the last three weeks.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, told reporters in Abuja that several ISWAP commanders and some foreign mercenaries, who made improvised explosive devices, were killed during air raids and land operations.
He also said so far, 965 terrorists and their family members had surrendered to troops in different locations with the theatre of operation during the period, adding that apart from 104 ISWAP members who surrendered recently, 25 abducted victims were rescued during the operations.
He said the surrendered terrorists had been properly documented and handed over to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
Asked to comment on the statement by Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum that if ISWAP was allowed to grow, the Boko Haram insurgency would be a child’s play, Onyeuko said the governor only expressed his opinion like every other Nigerian and that it had been noted.