DEADLY: Troops Crush Multiple Boko Haram Attacks in Borno, Yobe, Kill Over 50 Terrorists
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled multiple coordinated attacks launched by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists across several communities in Borno and Yobe states, killing more than 50 fighters in a series of fierce overnight battles.
The Defence Headquarters said the insurgents had, between midnight and 4 a.m. on Thursday, launched simultaneous assaults on military positions in Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo and Katarko — all within the Joint Operations Area covering Sectors 1 and 2 of the North-East theatre.
But the troops, backed by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) air component, stood their ground and fought gallantly, forcing the terrorists to retreat after suffering heavy casualties.
According to a statement on Thursday by the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force North-East Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the troops’ coordinated ground and air response dealt the terrorists “a heavy, decisive and bloody blow.”
He said, “The precision airstrikes, coupled with enhanced battlefield awareness provided by the Theatre Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, gave troops additional leverage and impetus to respond with overwhelming and lethal force. The combined efforts resulted in the neutralisation of over 50 terrorists across all locations.”
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Recovered items from the battlefield include 38 AK-47 rifles, seven PKT machine guns, five rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes, two general-purpose machine guns, hand grenades and thousands of rounds of assorted ammunition.
Military sources said more than 70 wounded insurgents were still being pursued through the Timbuktu Triangle and Cameroon border axis where they attempted to flee.
“Intelligence revealed that the terrorists who attacked Dikwa and Gajibo manoeuvred from the Cameroon axis, while those who attacked Katarko came from the Timbuktu Triangle,” the statement added.
Uba noted that some troops sustained injuries during the fierce exchange but were in stable condition. He added that some vehicles and structures were burnt in Dikwa and Mafa following RPG fire and drone attacks launched by the terrorists.
The military high command has since commended the troops for their courage and professionalism, describing their latest victory as a demonstration of the Armed Forces’ “renewed resolve and capacity to defend the nation’s territorial integrity.”
“Their steadfast performance once again reaffirms the military’s unwavering commitment to defeat terrorism and restore lasting peace to the region,” the statement read.
The latest clashes mark one of the heaviest defeats suffered by insurgents in recent weeks amid a renewed military onslaught in the North-East following the deployment of additional troops and critical combat assets to the theatre.
By PRNigeria
