A senior United States counterterrorism official has revealed that a recent counterterrorism operation in Nigeria resulted in the killing of 199 suspected terrorists and the recovery of what he described as the largest cache of enemy electronic materials seized since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The disclosure was made by the US Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, Sebastian Gorka, during an interview with Marissa Streit, Chief Executive Officer of PragerU.
According to Gorka, the volume of electronic devices and intelligence materials recovered during the operation was so extensive that US authorities had to deploy an additional aircraft to transport the items for further analysis.
He said intelligence experts are currently examining the recovered materials to better understand the communication systems, operational networks and activities of the Islamic State (ISIS).
Describing the mission as one of the most significant counterterrorism successes under the current US administration, Gorka said he watched the operation unfold live from the White House Situation Room.
“I can talk about this because it has been declassified,” he said. “Three weeks ago in Nigeria, I watched our operatives kill 199 jihadists in one operation. It was like being in a Tom Clancy movie, except it was real.”
He claimed the operation marked the largest number of enemy combatants neutralised in a single counterterrorism mission since the September 11 attacks.
“Those 199 jihadists will never harm Americans again,” Gorka said.
He added that the intelligence recovered during the raid was unprecedented.
“We needed an extra plane to transport all the electronic materials recovered from the camps. The haul was three times larger than any enemy electronics seizure since 9/11,” he stated.
According to him, the recovered devices are providing valuable intelligence, with specialists analysing the data to uncover how ISIS operatives communicate, coordinate and conduct their activities.
“We are back in the game of counterterrorism, and it is remarkable to watch our professionals at work,” he added.
Gorka also claimed that President Donald Trump’s administration has eliminated more than 1,000 jihadists in counterterrorism operations around the world.
The US official did not disclose the exact location of the operation in Nigeria or provide additional details about the mission during the interview.
