NIGERIA: Troops Of Operation Hadin Kai Repel Coordinated ISWAP Attacks In Borno, Inflict Heavy Casualties On Terrorists

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have successfully thwarted a series of coordinated attacks by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on military positions in Njimtilo, Baga, Buratai, and Damboa, Borno State, inflicting significant casualties on the insurgents.

The attacks, launched in the early hours of Monday from multiple directions, were described as desperate attempts by the terrorists to overrun troop locations and score propaganda gains amid sustained military pressure.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer at the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, said the assaults were decisively repelled through vigilant detection, coordinated firepower, tactical maneuvers, and timely close air support from the Air Component and Nigerian Army Aviation.

At Ajiri Cross near Njimtilo, terrorists attempting infiltration were engaged and routed by Sector 1 troops, who cut off withdrawal routes and forced a disorganized retreat with heavy losses.

Similar fierce resistance at Baga, Buratai, and Damboa, bolstered by precision airstrikes, disrupted terrorist formations and compounded their casualties during flight.

Several ISWAP fighters were neutralized, including a prominent leader who led the Buratai assault, while many others sustained injuries. Troops maintained firm control of all positions despite equipment damage and some personnel wounded, before launching exploitation operations.

In follow-up sweeps around Baga, extending to Korochara, Garin Giwa, and ahead of Gidan Kaje, troops recovered substantial enemy equipment, including 3 PKT machine guns, 7 AK-47 rifles, 206 rounds of PKT ammunition, 418 rounds of anti-aircraft ammunition, 7 AK-47 magazines, 3 AK-74 magazines, 3 RPG bombs, 2 camel bags, 3 head warmers, 1 blanket, 1 magazine carrier, and 1 litre of engine oil. Three terrorist motorcycles were destroyed, 7 corpses were recovered, and another 20 bodies were found buried in shallow graves.

Lt. Col. Uba noted that the repeated failures underscore the terrorists’ growing desperation under relentless OPHK operations, which have severely limited their freedom of movement and propaganda capabilities.

He reassured the public that all affected locations remain firmly under military control and that troops are in high spirits, continuing offensive dominance through superior coordination and sustained operations against terrorist enclaves and logistics networks.

The Joint Task Force urged citizens to remain vigilant, disregard disinformation, and avoid sharing fake reports that could undermine counter-terrorism effor

ts in the North East.