A new rebel attack in Borno was fired by the instability of Sahel – Military Commander

The surge in rebel attacks recently throughout Borno states was driven by instability in the broader Shel region, according to the Commander of the Joint Task Force Theater, Hadin Kai’s Northeast Operation, Major Abdulsalam Abubakar.

Speaking to journalists during the press briefing in Maiduguri on Tuesday, Abubakar linked the increase in violence with the deteriorating security situation in the neighboring Sahel countries, which he said had facilitated the flow of weapons to Nigeria through its porous borders.

“What happens in Nigeria is not connected to the situation in the larger Shel region where barracks in neighboring countries are being searched and weapons are transported. This arm finally entered Nigeria, thus giving energy back,” he explained.

Abubakar, who only took over the command two weeks ago, acknowledged a new threat but expressed confidence in the capacity of the armed forces to win, even if the loss occurred in the process.

“In the war, you have several campaigns which are a series of coordinated operations aimed at achieving strategic goals. So, you win some, you lose some. But the most important thing is the ratio of what you win against what you lose,” he said.

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He revealed that two years ago, the military almost declared the end of the conflict. However, developments in Sahel – where government facilities are often attacked – have bold terrorist groups in Nigeria.

Adding to the complexity of conflict is the use of sophisticated weapons by rebels. Abubakar said that the new terrorist uses armed drones to launch attacks, causing new challenges for the operation of counselorism.

“Since November last year, we have observed the use of armed drones to carry out attacks – similar to what happened in Israel and Ukraine. This drone is difficult to detect using a conventional radar system,” he said.

However, the commander pointed to significant profits. He said more than 20 terrorists were neutralized in the past week, with a large recovery of weapons and ammunition. He highlighted this new progress in Mallam Fatori and Kukawa, where nearly 20,000 people who were moved internally (IDP) had returned to their community and continued normal activities.

Abubakar also revealed continuous efforts to restructure military operations, including new field visits by the Army Chief of Staff.

He quoted simultaneous attacks on Rann, Dikwa, and Gajiram only the day before, noting that only Rann saw the penetration of partial enemies, which resulted in the loss of four soldiers.

“Yesterday, there was an attack on Rann, Dikwa, and Gajiram. All were rejected except in Rann, where they managed to penetrate to a certain extent, which caused the loss of four dashing personnel,” he said.

He also expanded a strong warning to the rebels:

“To the terrorists, I urge them to follow the path of their colleagues who have surrendered and treated humanely. If not, they will be eliminated.”

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