Defence Headquarters says terror attacks dropped by 73% in October
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has reported a 73.3 per cent reduction in attacks across military theatres of operation, with incidents dropping from 367 in September to 98 in October.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday while giving an update on military operations, attributing the decline to sustained operations by troops across various theatres.
Onoja said Operation Enduring Peace recorded the highest number of attacks in October with 29 incidents, followed by Operation Hadin Kai with 27 and Operation Fansan Yamma with 24. Operation Whirl Stroke recorded 12 attacks, while Operation Udo Ka had four. Operations Delta Safe and Savannah Shield recorded one attack each.
He said troops killed more than 217 terrorists and criminals, arrested 333 suspects and rescued 349 kidnapped persons during the month.
Onoja added that operations against crude oil theft led to the recovery of 756,837 litres of stolen petroleum products and the destruction of 49 illegal refining sites.
“Similarly, the overall successes recorded in the fight against crude oil theft have continued to frustrate the activities of economic saboteurs, yielding the recovery of 756,837 litres of stolen crude oil products and the destruction of 49 illegal refining sites,” he said.
The director said troops responded to attacks across the various theatres, engaging assailants with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres to repel them. He also expressed condolences to the government and people of Taraba State over the killing of civilians in terrorist attacks in Binari, Karim Lamido Local Government Area, on October 23.
Onoja said the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede, had assured Nigerians that the military would intensify efforts to apprehend those responsible for the killings and bring them to justice.
