The Nigerian military has announced the surrender of top leaders of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) alongside 76 foot soldiers and some of their family members following sustained military operations in the North-East.
The Acting Military Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Muhammad Goni, disclosed the development in a statement released on Sunday night.
According to the military, the insurgents abandoned their enclaves and laid down their arms as a result of relentless military pressure mounted by troops under Operation Hadin Kai.
The statement read, “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.”
Goni said the latest group of surrendering insurgents included senior ISWAP commanders, describing the development as a major breakthrough in the military’s ongoing campaign against terrorist groups operating in the region.
“Among those who surrendered are key members of the terrorist network due to relentless military pressure. They are currently in a secure location undergoing profiling, debriefing and other established procedures in accordance with extant operational protocols,” he said.
He added that, within the last week alone, 76 terrorist foot soldiers, accompanied by some of their family members, had surrendered to troops deployed in the North-East theatre of operations.
According to the military spokesman, the wave of surrenders underscores the impact of sustained offensives by Operation Hadin Kai, which he said has continued to dismantle terrorist strongholds, disrupt command and logistics structures, and deny insurgents freedom of movement across the theatre.
He stated that persistent military operations had significantly degraded the terrorists’ combat capabilities while weakening confidence within their ranks and leadership.
Goni further maintained that the operational successes reflected the effectiveness of the Nigerian military’s counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency strategy, which combines precision combat operations, intelligence-led missions and coordinated joint efforts with security partners.
He reiterated that Operation Hadin Kai remains committed to eliminating terrorism and restoring lasting peace across Nigeria’s North-East.
“The pressure on the remaining terrorist elements will continue unabated until they are completely neutralised or forced to surrender,” he added.
