Boko Haram terrorists have ambushed and killed scores of Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in a renewed ‘war of supremacy’ between the two extremist sects.
It was gathered that the insurgents of the Boko Haram faction loyal to Buduma slaughtered dozens of ISWAP fighters at a makeshift gravesite.
The Boko Haram terrorists later burnt alive some ISWAP terrorists in gun trucks.
However, troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) have eliminated no fewer than 33 ISWAP fighters.
It was also gathered that the MNJTF troops also rescued dozens of women and children during a military operation in Gamborun Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.
Items recovered from the terrorists include gun trucks, motorcycles and sophisticated weapons.
Similarly, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) has uncovered scores of makeshift facilities and forest settlements, serving as camps for armed bandits and kidnappers terrorising travellers along Abuja-Kaduna highway and train routes.
It was gathered that an emergency intelligence meeting coordinated by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) after the attack on an Abuja-Kaduna train identified three locations as ‘destinations’ of bandits after most attacks, within the axis.
The meeting, it was learned, also considered immediate deployment of integrated security surveillance and monitoring solutions for the rail line.
The locations identified by the intelligence service as bandit dens are in Rijana, Katari and Kasarami.
The places have proximity to the Kaduna-Abuja highway and rail lines.
“These locations are abodes to kidnappers, armed bandits, drug addicts, gun runners, prostitutes and fleeing Boko Haram terrorists,” PRNigeria quoted a senior intelligence source as saying.
The officer further revealed that a ‘massive joint security operation’ will commence in the areas, simultaneously with the support of recently acquired Drones.
The source added: “Some of the services have recently acquired sophisticated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, the drones to improve surveillance and ensure precisions on attacks on targets.
“We anticipate collateral damages in the initial stages of the operation even though we will ensure maximum protection of innocent citizens. Proper identification exercises of people in the areas would be conducted.”
The meeting of the intelligence operatives was on the heels of a security parley between President Muhammadu Buhari and the service chiefs.
Buhari had given the service chiefs a marching order to find lasting solution to incessant attacks on motorists and train passengers by bandits and kidnappers.
Prior to their meeting with Buhari, the duo of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Leo Irabor; and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya, undertook an assessment visit to the scene of the attack by bandits on a passenger train, on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft has killed scores on bandit terrorists after obtaining intelligence on their movement.
It was gathered that after obtaining intelligence on the movement of bandits along the Akilibu – Sarkin Pawa Road, near Mangoro Village, the NAF aircraft engaged terrorists in different waves with rockets while those fleeing were mopped up with canons decisively.
A domestic intelligence operative disclosed that 34 dead bodies of the bandits were counted during a mopping-up operation.