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Troops of Chief of Army Staff Special Intervention Battalion IX, under the auspices of Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), on Monday, neutralised two bandits in Benue.
The Acting Media Information Officer, Headquarters, JTF OPWS, Lt. Ahmad Zubairu, confirmed the feat in a statement issued in Makurdi and made available to newsmen on Monday.
Zubairu said that two suspected bandits were neutralised during a “snap ambush operation”, conducted on Jan. 26 on the Naka–Ahume–Makurdi Road.
He said that troops deployed in Naka received credible intelligence during their routine patrol about the presence of armed bandits operating in the area.
“During the encounter, three suspected armed bandits were sighted.
“Two were neutralised, while the third escaped with gunshot wound,”
Zubairu said.
He said that the troops recovered
one AK-47 rifle, loaded with six rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, at the scene.
He said that the troops had sustained aggressive fighting patrols in the area to further deny criminal elements freedom to operate.
Zubairu quoted the Force Commander, OPWS, Maj.-Gen. Moses Gara, to have attributed the success to “the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations and professionalism of the troops”.
Gara reaffirmed the commitment of the joint task force to sustain operational momentum and continue coordinating operations aimed at improved security across the Joint Operations Area.
