Troops Kill Two Boko Haram Top Factional Commanders in Borno

Two notorious Commanders of the Boko Haram extremist group, Abul-Bas and Ibn Habib, have been killed in an ambush by troops of 121 and 151 Battalions at Boko Haram’s crossing point between Vuria and Guja settlements along road Banki Junction – Pulka axis.

Both Abul-Bas and Ibn Habib were among the top Commanders of the Shekau faction of Boko Haram, operating in Sambisa forest and its environs.

In a statement, the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima said, the operation is part of a renewed, and highly-intensified offensive operations by troops of Operation Tura Takai Bango, targeted at ending the activities of terrorists in the North East.

According to him, troops recovered one GPMG, several AK-47 rifles, belt of ammunition containing heavy rounds of 7.62mm, motorcycles and mobile phone, after neutralizing Abul-Bas and Ibn Habib, together with their fighters.

“Psychologically, the death of Abul-Bas and Ibn Habib has inflicted a big and unprecedented blow on the operations of the terrorists, while the achievements in its entirety has further boosted the overall fighting spirit and morale of troops in the ongoing operation Tura Takai Bango,”

He said they were eliminated by the troops of Sector 1 area of operation. “The team comprises of a compact ambush team from 121 Battalion and elements of 151 Battalion known as the “Gaddafi Squad”,” he added.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 7 Division, Maj. Gen. Abdul Khalifa, while addressing Army Commanders in the Theatre on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, charged them to intensify their aggressive clearance operation, so as to clear Sambisa forest and its environs of remnants of the terrorists and their collaborators.