Troops Eliminate ISWAP Terrorists, Lose Officer, Recover Arms, Logistics in Borno
Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have repelled multiple coordinated attacks by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on military positions in Borno State, killing several insurgents and recovering heavy weapons and ammunition.
The attacks, which targeted Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Mayanti, Gajigana and Gajiram between late February 28 and the early hours of March 1, 2026, were successfully foiled, according to a statement issued on Sunday by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI.
The military said the assaults reflected what it described as “growing desperation” among terrorist elements facing sustained pressure on their enclaves and logistics networks.
At FOB Mayanti, troops came under heavy attack on February 28 by a large number of insurgents. Soldiers reportedly held their ground despite intense gunfire, while reinforcements navigated ambushes and improvised explosive device (IED) threats to repel the attackers.
Following the engagement, troops recovered the bodies of five insurgents and seized three PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, two RPG-7 launchers, four AK-47 rifles, two FN rifles, three RPG bombs and large quantities of 7.62mm ammunition. Blood trails at the scene suggested additional casualties among the fleeing attackers.
However, the military confirmed that an officer was killed during the confrontation.
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In a separate incident at about 1:15 a.m. on March 1, terrorists armed with PKT guns, rocket-propelled grenades and an armed drone attacked FOB Gajiram. Troops, supported by air assets, repelled the assault.
Three insurgents were found dead along the withdrawal route, while troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, five anti-tank bombs, three locally fabricated mortar bombs, one armed drone, six fully loaded 7.62mm NATO magazines, barbed wire cutters, specialised ammunition and other items abandoned during the retreat.
A wounded soldier from the encounter was airlifted by a Nigerian Army Aviation helicopter for advanced medical treatment, the statement added.
The attack on Gajigana was also thwarted, with troops maintaining control of the base.
Beyond the defensive operations, troops under Sector 2 intensified offensive actions in surrounding communities. At Kayawa Village, soldiers engaged insurgents who fled, abandoning a tricycle, three motorcycles and five bicycles. Troops also destroyed what were described as terrorist life-support structures and arrested two suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers.
Drugs and medical consumables allegedly used to treat wounded fighters were recovered during the operation.
In another engagement around Bulturam Corner and Dadingel in Gujba Local Government Area, troops reportedly neutralised two insurgents and recovered two AK-47 rifles, four magazines and a bicycle.
The military said all affected locations remain under its control, adding that the scale of recoveries and confirmed casualties indicates a continued degradation of ISWAP’s combat capability in the North East.
Operation HADIN KAI has sustained ground and air offensives in recent months aimed at dismantling insurgent strongholds and disrupting their supply chains across Borno and neighbouring states.
By PRNigeria
