Four Pakistanis arrested as army links foreign mercenaries to training of B’Haram, ISWAP fighters

Troops

Abdulsalam Abubakar, the theatre commander of Operation Hadin Kai, says the infiltration of foreign mercenaries into the north-east region has intensified the threat posed by terrorist groups like the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram.

Speaking during a media tour in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, Abubakar said such involvement has led to more sophisticated tactics among terrorist groups, including the deployment of drones for surveillance and attacks, the fabrication of advanced improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and the setting of traps targeting military personnel.

“The infiltration of foreign mercenaries in the joint operations area has significantly escalated the threat posed by terrorist groups like ISWAP and JAS,” he said.

“The recent arrest of four Pakistani nationals, whose initial investigation suggests that they deal in arms running with terrorists, is instructive. “It suffices to mention that the foreign mercenaries facilitate tactical and strategic training for these terrorists.”

Abubakar observed a growing coordination among terrorist networks, noting that this synergy has led to greater casualties and significant equipment losses for government forces.

“The growing influence of these mercenaries is evident in the terrorists’ increasing coordinated assets resulting in higher casualties among troops and greater equipment losses,” he said.

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“This alarming trend calls for an immediate coordinated response, including intensified intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations, as well as strong collaboration between Nigeria and neighbouring nations to disrupt cross-border support network.