Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, have recovered additional items belonging to Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists following a failed attack on military positions in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest recovery was made on September 2, during sustained exploitation operations in the Alagarno axis, northeast of Kukawa, as troops continued to track and disrupt terrorists who fled the area after the August 29 attack.
According to a statement by the Acting Military Information Officer, Capt. Mohammed Goni, troops recovered several items abandoned by the fleeing terrorists during the follow-up operations.
The recovered items include additional motorcycles, three blankets, a jackknife, an extra-large prayer mat, cups, tea-making materials, a rope, a head warmer and a pair of trousers bearing bloodstains, among other personal belongings.
The military said the discovery of the bloodstained clothing, alongside other abandoned items, provides further indications that some of the terrorists may have suffered casualties during the earlier encounter and were forced to abandon equipment and personal effects as they withdrew.
The latest recovery comes days after terrorists launched an attack on troops deployed in Kukawa, an assault that was repelled through coordinated ground and air operations.
The army said the combined response inflicted significant losses on the attackers and disrupted their attempted withdrawal from the area.
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Following the failed assault, troops intensified exploitation and clearance operations across the surrounding areas in an effort to track fleeing terrorists, recover abandoned equipment and prevent the attackers from regrouping.
The continued recovery of motorcycles and other personal effects is also expected to assist ongoing efforts to establish the movement routes and possible locations used by the fleeing terrorist elements.
Operation HADIN KAI has maintained sustained pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP elements across Borno and other parts of the North-East, combining ground operations, intelligence gathering and air support to disrupt terrorist activities.
The Joint Task Force said troops would continue clearance and exploitation operations in the Kukawa axis while remaining focused on denying terrorist elements freedom of action.
The military reaffirmed its commitment to consolidating recent operational gains and creating the conditions necessary for the restoration of lasting peace and security across communities affected by terrorism in the North-East.
