BEERSHEVA, ISRAEL - MAY 23: In this photo distributed by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) May 23, 2005, woman soldiers are coated in mud and wear branches in their helmets as their infantry instructors' course learns about camouflage during the field craft week of their training May 19, 2005 at an army base near Beersheva in Israel's southern desert. It takes the IDF more than 2 months to teach these 18-year-old female recruits the basic arts of warfare before they assigned to pass on their newly-acquired skills to the army's male and female draftees. (Photo by Abir Sultan/IDF via Getty Images)
In a significant victory against Boko Haram insurgents, the troops of Theatre Command, North East, ‘Operation Hadin Kai,’ have eliminated a top commander of the terrorist group, Tahir Baga. The operation, codenamed “Operation Desert Sanity III,” was part of the ongoing offensive against terrorist enclaves in Sambisa Forest.
Sources within the military revealed that Tahir Baga was killed on May 13, 2024, during the offensive targeting terrorists’ strongholds in Shababul Umma, Garin Panel Beater, and Lagara Anguwan Gwaigwai deep within the forest.
Intelligence reports and security analysts, including Zagazola Makama, corroborated the successful operation. Tahir Baga, known to be a close associate of Boko Haram’s former leader Abubakar Shekau, played a significant role in the group’s activities, including thwarting surrender efforts and coercing underage girls into carrying out suicide bombings.
His elimination marks a major setback for the terrorist organization. Additionally, the operation led to the rescue of 14 individuals, including women and children, from captivity. The fleeing insurgents abandoned weapons and equipment, including bomb-making materials, firearms, ammunition, and communication devices, in the face of the advancing troops.
The successful raid underscores the commitment of Nigerian security forces to root out terrorism and restore peace and stability to the region.
