Defense Headquarters addresses destruction of combat vehicles by terrorists
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Monday morning, September 2, 2024, broke its silence on the two combat vehicles known as Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, which were recently destroyed by terrorists in a viral video.
A statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, clarified that the combat vehicles were immobilized by troops after they got stuck in the Zamfara forest.
Buba explained that troops of Operation Hadarin Daji had, on August 29, embarked on a fighting patrol to dislodge a terrorist gathering at Kwashabawa Village in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara and engaged the terrorists en route to the location.
He stated that two of the troops’ MRAPs got bogged down due to the swampy terrain caused by the rains during the fight, while attempting to outflank the terrorists.
According to him, while troops tried to extricate the MRAPs, the terrorists massed up, taking advantage of the challenge the troops encountered with the MRAPs.
“Subsequently, the troops dismounted and demobilized the MRAPs when efforts to backload them proved futile.
“The unfortunate demobilization of the MRAPs by the troops was necessary to prevent them from being useful to the terrorists after abandonment.
“These situations further illustrate the impact of weather on changing conditions for ground operations,” he said.
Buba also clarified that another viral video propagated by the terrorists, suggesting a mass killing of allegedly abducted villagers in Sokoto, was fake.
According to him, the video depicted the killing of several civilians in a mass grave, stating that the incident did not take place in Nigeria but in a nearby African country facing terrorism.
“The terrorists, in an act of desperation, tried to manipulate the situation to mislead gullible members of the public.
“The Armed Forces unequivocally state that at no time were 150 persons abducted in Gobir, Sokoto State.
“The rumored abduction was deliberately planted by the terrorists to undermine the troops’ successes and cover up their weaknesses.
“Overall, the public is urged to be cautious of the terrorists’ tactics to propagate misinformation, disinformation, and fake news as part of their war propaganda effort.
“These situations are not uncommon in war.
“The dynamic and ever-changing environment of war creates some of these experiences.
“Nevertheless, troops retain operational flexibility to make adjustments in achieving the strategic objective of winning the war,” he said.
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime.
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