ABUJA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- At least 82 suspected terrorists were killed and 198 others arrested by Nigerian troops in the past week during various anti-terror operations across the country, the military said.
A total of 93 hostages were also rescued during the period, spokesperson for the military Markus Kangye said in a statement obtained Saturday by Xinhua in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
Some "41 repentant terrorists" and their family members, including 10 adult males, 12 adult females, and 19 children, surrendered to troops in the northeastern part of the country during the operations, he said, adding that they also handed over their weapons and ammunition.
Kangye said that during other operations in the same period, at least 22 oil thieves sabotaging the national economy were arrested in the country's oil-rich region.
"Additionally, troops discovered and destroyed 38 crude oil cooking ovens, 27 dugout pits, 22 boats, two speedboats, 60 storage tanks, 34 drums, and 32 illegal refining sites," he added. ■
