Troops Killed 554 Terrorists, Arrested 1,333, Rescued 1,736 In 3 Months – DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said troops in the third quarter of 2026 killed 554 terrorists/criminals, arrested 1,333 and rescued 1,736 hostages in three months.

The director, Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen. Michael Onoja, said the period recorded 367 attacks across various theatres of operation.

In September alone, he told journalists that troops neutralised 52 terrorists/criminals, arrested 350 terrorists/criminals, rescued 655 kidnapped civilians and 75 insurgents surrendered.

The troops recovered 52 arms and 2,335 rounds of ammunition; dismantled eight illegal refining sites and recovered over 304,822 litres of stolen petroleum products.

According to him, the Armed Forces of Nigeria demonstrated sustained capacity in confronting the full spectrum of security challenges facing the nation, from terrorism and banditry in the northern theatres to kidnapping, oil theft and secessionist agitation in the southern theatres.

“The scale of successes recorded for the third quarter 2026 ranging from the neutralisation of 554 terrorists and criminals, arrest of 1,333 terrorist/criminals, rescue of 1,736 kidnapped civilians, surrender of 333 insurgents, capture of 244 arms and 8,160 rounds of ammunition, dismantling of 104 illegal refining sites and recovery of 1,610,402 litres of stolen petroleum products represents a significant degradation of criminal and terrorist operational capacity nationwide,” he said.

In a breakdown of the 367 attacks recorded across various theatres of operation, Onaja said “Operation HADIN KAI” recorded 33 attacks, “Operation FANSAN YAMMA” recorded 115, Operation Savannah Shield recorded 13, Operation Enduring Peace recorded 147, Operation WHIRL STROKE recorded 55, and Operation UDO KA (OPUK) recorded four, while Operation DELTA SAFE recorded no attacks.

He said, “troops responded decisively to these incidents, swiftly engaging the assailants with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvre, and successfully countering the attacks. Through their resolve and professionalism, troops neutralised several of the attackers, forced others to flee, and denied them the opportunity to achieve their objectives.”

He reiterated that all Kinetic operations during the period enhanced security across all theatres of operations and the nation by disrupting terrorist and kidnapping activities, rescuing abducted civilians and protecting communities and key supply routes from attacks.

“Troops also cleared improvised explosive devices, dismantled suspected terrorist camps, recovered arms and ammunition, and prevented planned attacks, thereby improving freedom of movement and strengthening confidence among residents and commuters in affected communities, and protecting critical national infrastructure”, he added. Explaining the data, he said the 3rd quarter 2026 data show significant month-to-month fluctuations in operational outcomes.

According to him, from July to August, bandit/criminal killings increased by 171.9%, while arrests declined slightly by 4.2%, civilians rescued by 51.4%, surrendered terrorists by 252.6%, arms recovered by 28.6%, ammunition recovered by 12.5%, and crude oil recovered by 11.0%.

He said these changes reflect the intensity and nature of operational engagements during August.

He continued, “From August to September, most indicators declined from their August peaks, including 85.8% in bandits/criminals killed, 28.3% in arrests, 10.8% in civilians rescued, 62.7% in surrenders, 51.9% in arms recovered, 24.3% in ammunition recovered and 55.6% in crude oil recovered.

“However, the September figures still demonstrate sustained operational activity, with 581 civilians rescued, 345 arrests, 75 surrenders, 52 arms and 2,335 rounds of ammunition recovered, alongside continued efforts to protect national economic resources.

“The variations, therefore, reflect the changing operational environment while troops maintained their commitment to national security throughout the period”.