Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have foiled coordinated terrorist attacks in parts of Adamawa and Borno states, neutralising scores of insurgents during follow-up operations, the military has said.
In a statement on Friday, the Acting Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Lt. Atokolo, said the attacks occurred in the early hours of January 16, 2026.
According to the statement, terrorists attempted to overrun a patrol base at Sabon Gari in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State under Sector 4 of OPHK. However, alert troops swiftly engaged the attackers with support from reinforcements deployed from Gulak and the Battalion Quick Reaction Force.
“The terrorists were successfully repelled without any casualty to own troops and equipment, forcing them to abandon the attack,” the statement said.
It added that troops later cleared the general area and conducted scans for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and booby traps to ensure the safety of civilians and personnel.
In a related incident on the same day, the terrorists launched what the military described as a large-scale, multi-directional attack on the Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Azir in Borno State. The attackers initially attempted to breach part of the base’s defensive perimeter but were met with sustained firepower from troops, supported by the Air Component and other Nigerian Army aerial platforms.
After a prolonged firefight lasting over an hour, the terrorists were overpowered and forced to retreat.
During the engagement, rocket-propelled grenade fire from the terrorists affected some troop-carrying vehicles and the CCTV control room, which were partially gutted by fire. Despite this, the troops maintained control of the situation.
The military said several weapons and ammunition were recovered from the fleeing terrorists, including a 60mm mortar tube, mortar bombs, locally fabricated explosives, heavy machine gun rounds and hundreds of rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition.
Lt. Atokolo said intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms tracked the retreating terrorists, enabling follow-up air strikes along their withdrawal routes.
“The precision strikes by Nigerian Air Force platforms resulted in the neutralisation of additional scores of the terrorists, dealing a severe blow to their fighting strength and morale,” the statement added.
The military reaffirmed that Operation HADIN KAI remains resolute in its mandate to deny terrorists freedom of action, dismantle their networks and protect lives and property in the North East, stressing that operations would continue until all threats are eliminated.
