The army said Friday that it had discovered a large cache of arms buried in an underground cell in Balmo forest, Bauchi State.

In a statement by the director of defence information, Chris Olukolade, the army said the discovery was made during mop up operations in the forest.

“Troops who have been excavating various sites in the forest in search of hidden weapons, have so far recovered over 10 rifles along with parts and accessories as well as more than 80 general purpose machine guns,” Olukolade said.

Other items recovered include tubes of rocket propelled grenades and launchers, cables, wires, thousands of rounds of assorted ammunition, as well as uniforms of security agencies including protective clothing.

The military spokesman said some suspects were also arrested in the forest.

“Suspects captured in the forest have been taken into custody and are volunteering information linking the activities in the forest with other terrorist activities in the country,” he said.

The mopping up exercise in the state continues.