The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says the renewed terror attacks in the Northeast and Northwest regions of the country are caused by the influx of foreign fighters.
Director of Defence Media Operations for the DHQ, Maj.-Gen Edward Buba, who was addressing a press conference in Abuja, said that the foreign fighters are aided by local collaborators who provide information about the movements of Nigerian troops.
He said: “The resurgence in terror attacks can be attributable to the influx of foreign fighters who came in as reinforcements for these terrorists. These foreign fighters are from the Sahelian Region.
‘’ The other contributing factor is the support from local collaborators who serve as informants, reporting on troops’ movements.
“In spite of the situation, troops are profoundly conscious of their role and responsibility in ending insurgency and terrorism in the nation. Though we might record occasional tactical setbacks.
“Our strategic objective remains unhindered and it is to break the terrorist will to fight. In essence, defeating an enemy means destroying or breaking his will to fight.
“We are achieving this by the cumulative effort of killing their operatives, commanders, and other senior leaders .
“We are taking away their most important assets such as logistics, administration, and fighting capabilities.
‘’We are also applying regional and international pressure, as well as engaging the media. All these combine to destroy the terrorists’ will to fight.
“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.”
“Sadly, we are not there yet but inching closer every day. On the whole, security is everybody’s business. We must not compromise on security, otherwise, we compromise everyone’s security.”