Seven members of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS) / Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were “neutralised” by troops of Operation Hadin Kai on Sunday, September 11, in the axis of Kasuwan Daula in the Bama Local Government Area.

Zagazola Makama, a counterinsurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, said the troops ambushed the insurgents in the forest outside the town after they received credible intelligence that the fighters were on their way to the market.

Modu Mala, who lives in Bama town, told RNI that at about 7pm on Sunday residents heard loud gunshots fired by the military and other security operatives as they approached  the direction from which the insurgents were coming.

“The sounds of heavy gunfire continued, scaring some residents. But most of us remained calm because the fighting was happening in the forest not in or near the town. Later we learnt that the military had successfully defeated the Boko Haram [JAS] insurgents. The troops were jubilant as they proclaimed their success. Now everything is under control and the atmosphere is peaceful. Children are playing on the streets and people are going about their normal day-to-day activities without fear or panic.

“The army, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members, local hunters and other security operatives are doing a good job in protecting our lives and property. May Allah bless them. We want the federal government to provide world-class military equipment so that our troops can defeat the insurgents once and for all. We are also appealing to the insurgents to surrender and lay down their weapons and embrace peace for the betterment of all of us.”

Makama, quoting from an intelligence report, wrote on his Twitter handle (@zagazOlaMakama) that on Saturday, September 10, JAS insurgents had attacked a police checkpoint in Garingada in the Geidam Local Government Area in Yobe State. One police officer was killed.

“Today Sept 10, at about 14:00 hours Boko Haram attacked Garingada @PoliceNG checkpoint of Geidam, killing one mobile police [officer] attached to a border patrol. @Princemoye1,” he wrote.

Makama also tweeted that the Nigerien Military had recorded a massive feat against JAS fighters operating in the Lake Chad region.

“Niger troops killed many Boko Haram terrorists, captured two and rescued hostages. The Nigerien troops fighting Boko Haram have raided a camp … at Garin Wanzam, killing many terrorists and rescuing hostages,” he wrote.

“Lake Chad and its forested islands have become safe havens for terrorists from Nigeria’s Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), within the past years.”

An intelligence officer told Makama that the troops acted on credible information that some of the insurgents were abducting people and demanding a ransom from them within the general area.

“Sources said that the surprise attack led to the killing of some of the terrorists and the successful rescue of the hostages who were later reunited with their families,” Makama said.

“The troops met them while they were cooking; some were sleeping when they [the troops] opened fire on them and rescued the women, said the intelligence source. He said that two of the terrorists were also captured alive, noting that the troops also recovered weapons, [bullet] magazines and rocket-propelled grenades from the enclaves of the terrorists.”

On Monday, September 12, Makama said in a tweet that many ISWAP insurgents were “suyanised” – a Hausa word for burnt or fried – when Super Tucano jets fired at “Somalia” in the Sambisa Forest, which is known for housing many insurgent strongholds. He said the intelligence report stated that Nigerian soldiers, with the support of the two fighter jets, “have eliminated scores of ISWAP terrorists”.

He said it was believed that the insurgents had a medical facility in Somalia and that was where wounded fighters and the critically wounded fighters were treated.

Makama said the Nigerian Air Force also bombed Abdallari, an insurgent enclave northeast of Maiduguri.

“Several terrorists were also neutralised and structures destroyed by the bombardments,” he said.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO