Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have recorded significant successes in the ongoing Operation Desert Sanity, destroying multiple terrorist camps, recovering weapons and equipment, and repelling coordinated insurgent attacks in the Timbuktu Triangle.
According to a statement by the Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the troops on Sunday, January 18, 2026, advanced from their harbour area and conducted intelligence-led operations across identified terrorist enclaves, including Chilaria, Garin Faruk, and Abirma. The operations were supported by the OPHK Air Component, which provided continuous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance coverage over the axis. The synergy between air and ground forces enabled real-time tracking of insurgent movements, prevented enemy reinforcements, and improved the precision of ground operations.
During the mission, troops recovered several military and logistic items, including Baofeng radios, phones, AK-47 magazines, rounds of 7.62 × 39mm and 7.62mm NATO ammunition, Boko Haram/ISWAP flags, 12.7 × 108 mm ammunition links, diesel-powered grinding machines, medical supplies, bags of grains, a pick-up truck, underground logistic storage, and petroleum and oil lubricant (POL) dumps. The recovered items further degraded the operational capacity of the terrorists.
The troops came under armed drone attacks at midday and again in the evening but successfully repelled the assaults, forcing the insurgents to withdraw and reaffirming military dominance in the area.
Lieutenant Colonel Uba said despite continuous engagements, troop morale remains high, and security conditions in the area are calm but unpredictable. He assured that operations would continue as forces remain committed to eliminating terrorist threats, protecting civilians, and restoring peace and stability to the North East.
