By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Defence Headquarters says troops of Operation Hadin Kai have eliminated 70 terrorists and their commanders in a clearance operation at a terrorist enclave known as Timbuktu Triangle in Borno.

The Director Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, in a statement on Sunday, said the troops had launched a three-prong operation on Jan. 16 aimed at dismantling the terrorist within the triangle.

Buba said the troops recorded several encounters with terrorists during the course of the clearance operations which resulted in the killing of over 70 of them including three notable commanders.

According to him, the terrorist commanders neutralised include Talha, a Terrorist Special Forces Commander; Malam Umar, a Terrorist Operations commander and ?Abu Yazeed, a Terrorist Brigade Commander.

?Meanwhile during the operations, the terrorist deployed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), Person Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices (suicide bombers) as well as Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices (suicide bombers in explosive vehicles) to ward off troops advance and attacks.

?Troops already familiar with the terrorist tactics thwarted the several terrorist attempts, including shooting down the amateur drones used by the terrorists,? he said.

Buba, however, announced that 22 soldiers paid the supreme price in the cause of the operations with several others wounded in action.

?On this account, the media is enjoined to resist publishing names of troop casualties to allow the formal notification of their next of kin.

?On the whole, the operation is ongoing and the public will be updated on further developments in due course,? he added. (NAN)