The Nigerian Army and the Department of State Services destroyed an enclave of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)/Eastern Security Network (ESN) at Asaba, Delta State, on Saturday.
Chronicle NG reports that Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, Army spokesman, made this statement on the official Twitter page.
In an ongoing clearance operation, troops of 63 Bde Garrison, under the auspices of 6 Division, raided the fortified enclave nestled in the centre of a wooded hill in the early hours of the morning.
The gallant troops overpowered the IPOB fighters in the exchange of fire that followed the encounter, compelling them to abandon their hideout in disarray. The troops captured one of the fleeing fighters and recovered five AK-47 rifles, three pump-action semiautomatic rifles, one G3 rifle, and one single-barrel gun. Other items recovered include Live cartridges, an electric saw, machetes, an axe, and an IPOB flag.
The troops have destroyed the enclave and are exploiting the forest in pursuit of the fleeing fighters.
The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, has commended the troops and other security agencies for their efforts in the ongoing operations and has charged them to sustain the momentum to restore sanity in the region.