Troops Kill Two Heavy Boko Haram’s Factional Commanders in Borno

By Dilibe Michael

Two prominent commanders from the extremist Boko Haram group, Abul-Bas, and Ibn Habib were neutralized on their way to the Banki, around the Pulka axis.

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

They have been on intelligence agencies’ watch-list for some time.

PRNigeria gathered that the two slain commanders, alongside their bodyguards and fighters, were killed yesterday by the troops, in an ambush at their crossing point, between Vuria and Guja settlements.

This 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, PRNigeria gathered.

According to a military intelligence officer, troops recovered one GPMG, several AK-47 rifles, a 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 have further boosted the overall fighting spirit and morale of troops in the ongoing operation Tura Takai Bango,” the military officer told PRNigeria in a phone interview.

He said they were neutralized by the troops of the 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, to clear Sambisa forest and its environs of remnants of the terrorists and their collaborators.