ISWAP Leaders and 76 Fighters Give Up to Troops in North East

Top leaders of the Islamic State of West Africa Province and 76 fighters, along with their families, have surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the North East.

Capt Muhammad Goni, the Acting Military Information Officer for the Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, shared this in a statement on Sunday night.

Goni said the insurgents dropped their weapons and left their hideouts because of the ongoing military pressure.

The statement said, "The Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), has continued to record significant operational successes in the ongoing counter terrorism campaign against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists through sustained operations backed by credible, timely and actionable intelligence."

In another significant development, a new group of top ISWAP leaders has left their hideouts and surrendered to troops in the North East operations.

Goni mentioned that key members of the terrorist group surrendered due to the continuous military pressure.

"They are currently in a secure location undergoing profiling, debriefing and other established procedures in accordance with extant operational protocols," he added.

In the past week, a total of 76 terrorist fighters along with some families have surrendered to the troops.

Goni also pointed out that this event shows the serious impact of the ongoing efforts by Operation Hadin Kai, which continues to break down terrorist strongholds, disrupt their command and logistics, and limit their freedom of movement.

"Persistent military operations have continued to degrade the terrorists’ combat capabilities while eroding confidence within their ranks and leadership," he said.

Goni further noted that these operational successes show how effective the Nigerian military's counter terrorism and counter insurgency strategy is. This strategy combines precise combat actions, intelligence-led missions, and teamwork with partners.

He assured that Operation Hadin Kai is determined to entirely defeat terrorism and bring lasting peace and security to the North East.

"The pressure on the remaining terrorist groups will continue without pause until they are completely neutralized or forced to give up," the statement concluded.