ABUJA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian forces killed at least 102 suspected terrorists, including senior commanders, and arrested 345 others during various military operations across the country this month, an official said on Friday.
Michael Onoja, spokesman for the Nigerian military, said at a monthly briefing in the capital, Abuja, that troops also rescued more than 393 kidnapped victims during the period.
According to Onoja, the operations, carried out in collaboration with other security agencies and local vigilante groups, also led to the surrender of more than 57 insurgents and their family members, while troops recovered 59 weapons and 1,811 rounds of ammunition.
He said the operations targeted terrorists, kidnappers, armed militias, secessionist groups and other criminal elements, with major successes recorded against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the country's northeast region, including the killing of Abu Salim al-Barnawi, whom the military identified as ISWAP's chief propagandist.
Onoja added that troops also dismantled terrorist logistics networks and arrested suspected oil thieves in southern Nigeria.
Nigeria has been confronted with a myriad of security challenges, including terrorism, kidnapping, banditry, armed militancy, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, and farmer-herder conflicts. ■