Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI have foiled a midnight terrorist attack on Kukareta community, neutralising 24 insurgents and recovering a large cache of weapons during the encounter.
According to a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the task force, Sani Uba, the attempted attack occurred in the early hours of April 23 at Kukareta under Sector 2 of the operation.
Uba said the assault began shortly after midnight and lasted until about 3:00 a.m., but vigilant troops responded swiftly with coordinated offensive and defensive actions that forced the attackers to retreat in disarray.
He explained that during the engagement, troops inflicted heavy losses on the terrorists, with 24 insurgents confirmed neutralised so far.
The spokesman added that ongoing exploitation of the battlefield led to the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition abandoned by the fleeing terrorists.
Items recovered included 18 AK-47 rifles, three General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), two PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, three Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tubes, two mortar tubes, four hand grenades, 18 AK-47 magazines, and large quantities of belted 7.62mm ammunition.
Uba disclosed that two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange of fire but had been stabilised and were receiving medical attention.
He also noted that one reinforcing armoured vehicle sustained damage during the encounter after its tyres were blown out.
The spokesman said exploitation operations were ongoing to track fleeing insurgents and recover additional weapons and equipment along withdrawal routes.
He stated that the successful operation underscored the resilience and combat readiness of troops in denying terrorists freedom of movement within the joint operations area.
Uba assured that troops would sustain offensive operations to consolidate gains and decisively defeat terrorist elements operating within the North-East region.
