The troops of Operation Fire Ball have inflicted heavy casualties on Boko Haram/Islamic States for West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, killing 16 in recent encounters in North-east theatre of operation.

The acting director, Defence Media Operations, Bernard Onyeuko, in a statement  said that operation was a subsidiary operation launched under Operation Lafiya Dole to route out remnants of terrorists.

Onyeuko, a brigadier general, said that four terrorists’ gun trucks were destroyed as well as recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition during the various encounters.

He disclosed that the troops had on October 21 noticed unusual vehicles tailing the convoy of vehicles conveying internally displaced persons from Maiduguri to Baga town in order to infiltrate their position.

According to him, the troops inflicted heavy casualties on them by killing three terrorists and destroying one gun truck.

He added that one anti-aircraft gun, three AK-47 rifles, three shells for making improvised explosive device were also captured, adding that the troops had since dominated the area with aggressive patrols.