Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have thwarted coordinated terrorist attacks in parts of Borno and Yobe, neutralising several fighters and destroying logistics assets.
The Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
He said the failed assaults were launched on the night of Feb. 20 in Limankara and Kukawa areas of Borno.
According to him, troops repelled the attacks, forcing the insurgents to withdraw with heavy losses as sustained offensives continue to target terrorist enclaves and logistics corridors across the theatre.
Uba said that in a related development, troops of Sector 2 under Operation Desert Sanity V conducted a precision operation in the early hours of Feb. 22 around Lamusheri Village in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe.
He explained that the operation followed weeks of intelligence gathering supported by surveillance and reconnaissance platforms.
“Despite coming under fire on approach, troops in synergy with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force outflanked the terrorists and cut off their withdrawal routes.
“During the firefight and subsequent exploitation, 15 terrorists were neutralised, while others fled with gunshot wounds.
“Troops destroyed defensive structures and life-support facilities, set ablaze five terrorist tricycles and two vehicles used for logistics, and recovered arms and ammunition,” he said.
Items recovered, according to him, included rifles, magazines, bandoliers and other combat materials.
Uba further stated that on the same night, terrorists attempted to infiltrate the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Limankara.
He said alert troops engaged the attackers in a firefight, supported by rapid reinforcement and air component assistance, forcing the insurgents to retreat.
“There were no casualties or equipment losses on the side of own troops, while intelligence reports indicated casualties among the terrorists,” he said.
Similarly, he said terrorists mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles launched a multi-pronged attack on troops in Kukawa from the Alagarno and Jemmu axes.
He noted that troops mounted a determined defence, engaging the attackers in an intense firefight that lasted into the early hours of Feb. 21.
According to him, coordinated ground resistance and precision air strikes destroyed one gun truck and neutralised four fighters.
He added that aerial surveillance later tracked fleeing terrorists on five motorcycles to a convergence point where another strike destroyed the motorcycles and neutralised 10 additional fighters.
“Following the strikes, troops conducted exploitation and recovered 13 AK-47 rifles, 16 loaded magazines, three handheld radios, stretchers used to convey casualties, as well as shallow graves and blood trails.
“Regrettably, one soldier was killed in action, while some equipment was destroyed by rocket fire.
“The wounded personnel were evacuated by Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and are in stable condition,” he said.
Uba said the coordinated air and land operations had compounded enemy losses and reinforced operational dominance across multiple fronts.
He added that the Military High Command commended the troops for their performance and urged them to sustain the operational tempo in ongoing operations.
