Troops Repel ISWAP Attack in Borno, Arrest Suspected Terrorists Informant in Yobe
Troops of the Nigerian military operating under Operation HADIN KAI have repelled an attack by terrorists suspected to be members of Islamic State West Africa Province in Bita while also arresting a suspected insurgent informant during a separate operation in Kanama.
Security sources said the attempted attack on troops occurred at about 1:09 a.m. on Saturday when insurgents launched a coordinated assault on soldiers of the 26 Task Force Brigade deployed in the Bita axis of Borno State.
According to the sources, the terrorists attempted to overrun the military position but were met with stiff resistance from the troops, leading to an intense gun battle.
“In a decisive and coordinated operation, gallant troops of Operation Hadin Kai launched a simultaneous land and air assault on terrorist positions in Bita in the early hours of today,” a security source said.
The response involved ground troops engaging the attackers while aerial support conducted surveillance and precision strikes over the battlefield. The combined firepower forced the insurgents to retreat toward their enclaves after coming under heavy pressure from the coordinated assault.
Following the withdrawal of the attackers, troops commenced exploitation operations aimed at pursuing fleeing insurgents and preventing them from regrouping.
Read Also:
Meanwhile, in a separate development, troops of the 159 Battalion in collaboration with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force arrested a suspected insurgent spy in Kanama, located in Yunusari Local Government Area.
Security sources identified the suspect as Malam Fantami, a native of Dikwa, who was apprehended during a security operation following credible intelligence suggesting he was acting as an informant for terrorists linked to ISWAP.
Items recovered from the suspect at the time of his arrest included a mobile phone, a smartwatch, prayer beads, a motorcycle key and ₦7,000 in cash.
Preliminary examination of the mobile phone by security personnel reportedly revealed suspicious materials, including photographs of motorcycles, large sums of cash, AK-47 rifles and other items believed to be associated with terrorist activities.
“The discovery of these materials has raised serious suspicion about the suspect’s role as a possible logistics informant or intelligence asset for insurgent elements operating in the region,” a source said.
The suspect is currently in military custody undergoing further interrogation to determine the extent of his involvement with terrorist networks and to identify possible collaborators.
Military authorities said the arrest forms part of ongoing counter-terrorism operations aimed at dismantling the intelligence and logistics networks that support insurgent activities in the North-East.
Kanama, located near the Nigeria–Niger border, has long been regarded as a strategic corridor often exploited by insurgent groups for movement and supply operations.
By PRNigeria
