How Foreign Fighters Fuel Terrorist Resurgence in N/East — DHQ
The Defence Headquarters has revealed that the recent surge in terrorist attacks in North East and North West Nigeria can be attributed to the influx of foreign fighters reinforcing local terror groups.
The military has revealed that foreign fighters supporting terrorist groups in Nigeria originate from the Sahelian Region, according to Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operation, who made this statement in Abuja, today.
Buba explained that local collaborators play a significant role in supporting terrorist activities, serving as informants who report on troop movements.
He said despite these challenges, troops remain committed to ending insurgency and terrorism in the nation.
“The resurgence in terror attacks can be attributable to the influx of foreign fighters that come in as reinforcement for these terrorists.
“These foreign fighters are from the Sahelian Region. The other contributing factor are the local collaborators that form a support base for these terrorists.
“They serve as informants to the terrorist reporting on troop movement. In spite of the situation, troops are profoundly conscious of their role and responsibility in ending insurgency and terrorism in the nation,” he said.
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Buba said that troops might record occasional tactical setbacks but noted that “strategic objective to break the terrorist will to fight remained unhindered”
While acknowledging potential tactical setbacks, Buba noted that the strategic objective of breaking the terrorist will to fight remains unwavering.
According to him, defeating an enemy means destroying or breaking his will to fight and the military is achieving this by the cumulative effort of killing their operatives, commanders and senior leadership.
He said the troops had continued to take away the terrorists’ most important assets such as their logistics, administrative and fighting capabilities.
His words: “And of course, we are applying regional and international pressure, as well as engaging the media. All these combine to destroy the terrorist will to fight.
“Wars are fought and won all over the world by destroying the enemy’s will to fight. And we are bent on achieving just that.
“We understand that this war is not a quick fix, but a long and enduring military operation at the end of which these terrorists will be destroyed and we will have a better world.
“Overall, we understand that we all want to be in a different situation, a situation whereby all this insecurity is over and the terrorist is completely eradicated.”
