Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists operating in the Lake Chad area on Friday, June 21, suffered the heaviest loss in six months as troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in conjunction with national forces went on devastating offensive against them.

Giving details of the operation, Colonel Timothy Antigha, MNJTF Chief of Military Public Information, said in a statement issued this morning in N’Djamena, Chad: At about 6am yesterday, 21 June 2019, troops embarked on clearance operation to Doron Naira (an island in Lake Chad), in a bid to disrupt ISWAP’s activities on the island and adjoining localities. Troops effectively suppressed ISWAP and successfully conducted the clearance operation.”

The statement disclosed that, at the end of the engagement, the following statistics were recorded:

- 42 terrorists neutralised, several others escaped with gunshot wounds

- 2 Gun trucks destroyed

- 3 Motor cycles destroyed

- 2 Light machine guns recovered

- 2 AK 47 Riffles recovered

“Unfortunately, the MNJTF lost a soldier while 10 others were wounded in Action. The affected soldiers have been evacuated accordingly,” Antigha said in the statement.

He noted that “earlier in the week, ISWAP also met a similar fate when they attempted to attack MNJTF troops in Sector 1 Foward Operation Base (FOB) in Ngouma in Cameroon. In that engagement, ISWAP lost 5 terrorists, while 1 was captured. They also lost 13 AK 47 Riffles and 2 Hand Grenades.

“Similarly, the MNJTF also conducted air interdictions in Arege and Malkorony. Several terrorists are suspected to have been killed as the Headquarters and logistics base of a top ISWAP commander, Abu Talib was targeted in that operation.”