Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have repelled an attack by suspected ISWAP terrorists on the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Magumeri, killing scores of the insurgents and recovering arms and ammunition.
The military disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by the Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba.
According to the statement, the terrorists attempted to infiltrate the base in the early hours of May 7 under poor visibility conditions.
It stated that although the attackers made minor breaches in an isolated section of the camp, troops fought gallantly and decisively contained the assault.
“The troops successfully defeated the terrorists by neutralising scores of them during the failed attack,” the statement said.
The military added that further exploitation of the area revealed extensive blood trails, body drags and recovered corpses of the insurgents, indicating heavy casualties inflicted on the attackers.
It also said troops recovered a cache of arms and ammunition abandoned by the fleeing terrorists, including PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, AK-47 rifles and magazines.
The statement, however, disclosed that two soldiers lost their lives during the encounter, while an officer and other injured personnel were receiving medical treatment and were in stable condition.
It added that some equipment and temporary structures within the camp were damaged by fire during the exchange of gunfire.
The military said troops were continuing exploitation operations in the area to consolidate on the gains recorded during the operation and to determine the full extent of damage inflicted on the terrorists.
It noted that the failed attack demonstrated the determination of Operation HADIN KAI troops to deny terrorists freedom of action across the North-East theatre.
The military high command also commended the troops for their performance and urged them to sustain the operational tempo against insurgents.
