ABUJA, April 25– Nigerian troops carried out a series of anti-terror raids in the northeastern states of Borno and Yobe between April 17 and 23, eliminating at least 31 suspected terrorists and freeing multiple hostages, said the military on Saturday.
Michael Onoja, spokesperson for the military, said in a statement that the troops carried out ambushes and patrols in the two states, killing the terrorists in separate raids.
Many weapons and ammunition were recovered during the operations. In Borno, airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) destroyed terrorist hideouts in the Southern Tumbuns area on Friday night, NAF spokesperson Ehimen Ejodame said in a separate statement on Saturday.
The airstrikes followed credible intelligence on terrorist activities in the area, Ejodame said, noting that the NAF conducted a targeted surveillance sweep, during which several terrorists were observed moving along concealed tracks and were trailed to structures hidden under dense foliage.
“Following identification, the NAF executed a precise strike, engaging the structures with onboard munitions,” he said, adding that “the operation achieved the desired effect, with terrorist structures destroyed, further degrading their capability and freedom of movement in the area.” (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
