From Dispatch Room
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have intercepted more than 400 Starlink communication devices allegedly used by Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in the North-East.
The disclosure was made by the Commander of Sector 2, Operation HADIN KAI, Brigadier General Beyidi Martins, during a briefing on ongoing military operations targeting terrorist logistics and communication networks.
Martins said the Starlink terminals were recovered during sustained operations across Sambisa Forest, the Timbuktu Triangle, and other terrorist enclaves in the North-East. The devices are linked to Starlink, the satellite internet service associated with Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Similar reports were also carried by Independent Nigeria, PM News, Sahara Reporters and AIT.
According to the commander, the seizures formed part of wider “strangulation” operations designed to cut off the logistics lifelines that sustain terrorist groups in the region.
“The lifeblood of terrorist activities is logistics resupply, and we are deliberately denying them freedom to move supplies, communication equipment, fuel and other operational items across the theatre,” Martins said.
He explained that the insurgents had increasingly depended on civilian supply chains, transporters, traders and collaborators to move food, fuel, medical supplies, communication gadgets and motorcycle spare parts into remote hideouts.
Martins said some civilians were willingly collaborating with terrorists, while others were being forced through threats and intimidation. He added that troops had infiltrated several supply networks used by insurgents across the theatre.
According to him, hundreds of logistics suppliers, couriers and collaborators have been arrested in ongoing operations. He said more than 400 logistics-related cases and networks supporting terrorist operations had already been disrupted.
The commander also disclosed that troops had intercepted consignments of Premium Motor Spirit, drugs, medical supplies, food items and spare parts suspected to be destined for terrorist camps.
He said the items were seized along major movement corridors from Kano through Nguru and other routes leading toward the Timbuktu Triangle, Sambisa Forest and adjoining terrorist enclaves.
Martins further revealed that insurgents had been exploiting local livestock markets to sell rustled animals and raise operational funds. He said security forces, local authorities and market stakeholders had introduced livestock verification measures to confirm ownership before animals could be sold.
“If animals are not properly identified, they will not be sold. Through that arrangement, we are tracking and disrupting their sources of financing,” he said.
The commander said the ongoing military pressure had weakened terrorist logistics chains and reduced their operational flexibility across the sector.
He also said sustained offensives and intelligence-led operations had contributed to the surrender of several terrorists and members of their families within the area of responsibility.
Martins reaffirmed the commitment of Operation HADIN KAI to intensify offensive operations, intercept terrorist supply routes and dismantle communication networks sustaining insurgent activities in the North-East.
The reported seizure highlights the changing nature of counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria, where terrorist groups are no longer relying only on weapons, vehicles and fuel, but also on modern communication technology to coordinate movement, evade surveillance and sustain operations in difficult terrain.
— Newspot Nigeria
