The commander, Abu Iliya, was killed on Saturday when troops raided the terrorists’ hideout in the Kayamari-Habasha-Yuwe axis of Sambisa Forest.
A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed in Maiduguri, yesterday, that the troops achieved the feat following an intelligence-led patrol of the terrorist’s camps in three villages.
“The troops made contact with the terrorists in the course of a counter offensive patrol in Yuwe village,” he said, adding that this led to a heavy gun battle.
A military source in Maiduguri also said the troops successfully defeated the insurgents, while other insurgents fled in disarray upon encountering superior firepower.
The source said the fierce battle that lasted over an hour led to abandonment of the terrorists’ weapons and other property in the villages.
According to Makama, the troops also destroyed 50 bicycles recovered at the hideout.
Major General Ibrahim Ali, the newly appointed Theatre Commander of OPHK, vowed to sustain troops’ efforts towards ending the fight against the insurgents. He said all hands must be on deck to end terrorism, which has claimed many lives and property in the region.
