The Nigerian Armed Forces on Thursday said that “not less than 410 members of the Darul Salam Terrorists group, including women and children,” surrendered to the troops of operation WHIRL STROKE and other security agencies deployed at Uttu in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Northcentral region, on Tuesday.
In a statement Thursday, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, said that troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE also destroyed the terrorists’ bomb-making factory while recovering several Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making materials and other materials.
Penultimate Tuesday, Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, said that Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP)/Boko Haram terrorists’ dislodged from the Northeast region and bandits fleeing from military bombardments in the Northwest region are converging in the Northcentral State, causing a burgeoning security challenges as the terrorists take advantage of the hilly and rocky terrain of the State.
Sule told journalists after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that to reduce their effectiveness, hunters and vigilante groups have been deployed to track them because they are more familiar with the hilly terrain.
According to the statement, “tn continuation of aggressive clearance operations aimed at decisively riding the North-Central zone of armed banditry and other forms of criminality, troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE have recorded a major success against the criminal elements.
“Following aggressive intensive kinetic operations at identified bandits’ enclaves, not less than 410 members of the Darul Salam Terrorists group, including women and children, surendered to the troops of operation WHIRL STROKE and other security agencies deployed at Uttu in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
“Relatedly, troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE while on a robust clearance patrol around Uttu, on 26 August 2020 stormed a Darul Salam terrorists bomb-making factory following actionable technical and human intelligence on the activities of the terrorists in the general area.
“In the course of the operation, troops recovered several Improvised Explosive Device making materials at the location including 2 scales, 6 rocket launcher bombs, one bag of fertilizer, half a bag of gun powder, 10 locally made hand grenades, one Rocket Propelled Grenade bomb fuse, one locally made Rocket Launcher, 2 Improvised Explosive Devices,13 Improvised rocket bombs, amongst others. The camp was subsequently destroyed while troops are equally combing the surrounding forests for fleeing members of the sect.
“The Military High Command commends the gallant troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE for their professionalism and dexterity in achieving this notable feat and also urges them to sustain the tempo in the push to decisively curtail the activities of armed bandits and other criminals operating in the North-Central zone.”