The Troop of Operation Udo Ka, and other security operatives have shot 20 Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) fighters dead in a gun battle in Imo, South East Nigeria.
Other security operatives which carried out the operation are Nigeria Police, Department of State Security Service, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
The joint security operatives had conducted a raid/clearance operations to the IPOB/ESN violent extremists/terrorists in Mother Valley, Orsu LGA of Imo State.
Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba in a statement on Sunday said the team cleared about 50 IPOB/ESN hideout tents in the valley, including terrorists’ Supreme Headquarters and their Command and Control Centre as well as its Military Council Headquarters.
He said the troops also cleared Buteuzor’s hideout/residence office, logistic base, temple, and shrine, saying that the hideouts were well concealed with foliage that afforded the criminals cover from air surveillance to prevent monitoring and detection.
“The Valley had sufficient power supply for the camps. The terrorists hibernated there, reared animals, and also owned farms to be self-sustaining to live and fight. During the operations, troops also encountered several command IEDs and ditches along the axis of the camp,” he explained.
According to Buba, all explosives were detonated and ditches were covered with excavators before reaching the camp, adding that the location was identified to be the supreme headquarters, command, and control centre as well as the Military Council Headquarters of IPOB/ESN.
“During the operations, troops made contact with terrorists. Following a firefight, troops neutralised 20 terrorists and recovered several quantities of assorted weapons such as G3 rifles, AK47 rifles, auto pump action guns, double barrel guns, locally made pistols, and RPG bombs,” he disclosed.
Buba added that troops also recovered assorted ammunition which included 226 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 216 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 172 live cartridges, 4 AK47 magazines, and 3 G3 magazines.
He said other items recovered included several quantities of IEDs (OGBUNIGWE), POS devices, baofeng radios, mobile phones, handheld IEDs, CCTV cameras, inverters, and batteries, Biafra flags and others.
Buba added that troops destroyed all camps, hideouts, and shrines in the location, disclosing that the location was also littered with shallow graves indicative of Idol worshipping and ritual killings, adding that the ritual killings at the camp accounted for the several cases of missing persons in the region.
According to him, the recovered items were being processed and analysed for their intelligence value, saying nevertheless, troops are sustaining the momentum and going in pursuit of the terrorist and their cohorts, dislodging them from their enclaves.
