Military Kills 662 Terrorists, Arrests 1,084 Suspects In Q2 Operations

The Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) says its troops neutralised 662 terrorists and other criminal elements, arrested 1,084 suspects and rescued 951 kidnapped victims across the country during the second quarter of 2026 as intelligence-led operations intensified nationwide.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed the figures on Wednesday while briefing journalists in Abuja on the military’s operational achievements for June and the second quarter of the year.

According to Onoja, the successes were recorded through coordinated land offensives, close air support and intelligence-driven operations across various theatres.

He said the Armed Forces achieved “significant and far-reaching operational successes” during the period, adding that troops degraded the operational capabilities of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), as well as kidnapping syndicates, illegal oil bunkering networks and cross-border arms traffickers.

Onoja described the achievements as evidence of the military’s continued commitment to restoring peace, stability and public confidence across the country.

He said the North-East, under Operation Hadin Kai, recorded the highest number of successes, with troops killing 484 terrorists, arresting 370 suspects and rescuing 595 kidnapped victims during the quarter.

The theatre also witnessed the surrender of 38 insurgents and their family members, while a major operation in the Mandara Mountains of Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State, led to the rescue of 360 civilians, mostly women and children.

In the North-West, troops under Operation Fansan Yamma neutralised 77 terrorists, arrested 210 suspects and rescued 153 kidnapped victims while disrupting the activities of arms traffickers, logistics suppliers and terrorist collaborators across Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara states.

Operations in the North-Central under Operations Savannah Shield, Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke resulted in the killing of 83 terrorists, the arrest of 305 suspects and the rescue of 183 kidnapped victims.

Onoja said troops also targeted terrorist informants, logistics providers, illegal arms couriers and collaborators to dismantle criminal support networks across the region.

In the South-East, troops conducting Operation Udo Ka neutralised 12 terrorists, arrested 115 suspects and rescued 20 kidnapped victims. The operations also led to the recovery of weapons, improvised explosive devices and ammunition, while several suspected IPOB and ESN commanders and logisticians were apprehended.

Meanwhile, Operation Delta Safe in the South-South focused on combating crude oil theft and economic sabotage. Troops killed six criminal suspects, arrested 84 others, dismantled 12 illegal refining sites and recovered more than 464,000 litres of stolen petroleum products.

Onoja noted that the number of arrests exceeded those killed because many of those apprehended were financiers, informants, logistics suppliers, arms traffickers and other collaborators supporting terrorist and criminal groups.

He reaffirmed the military’s commitment to sustaining nationwide counter-terrorism, counter-banditry, anti-kidnapping, anti-oil theft and anti-arms trafficking operations to further improve security across the country.