Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have repelled coordinated attacks by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on several military positions in Borno, killing several insurgents and recovering heavy weapons and ammunition.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Operation HADIN KAI, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Maiduguri.
He said the attacks, which targeted Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Mayanti, Gajigana and Gajiram between late Feb. 28 and early March 1, were successfully foiled by troops under the Joint Task Force (North East).
According to him, terrorists launched a heavy assault on FOB Mayanti on Feb. 28 but were met with stiff resistance from troops, who held their ground despite intense fire.
“Reinforcements fought through ambushes and improvised explosive device threats to rout the attackers. Five terrorist corpses were confirmed, while troops recovered three PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, two RPG-7 tubes, four AK-47 rifles, two FN rifles, three RPG bombs and large quantities of 7.62mm ammunition,” he said.
Uba added that blood trails along the withdrawal routes indicated additional casualties among the insurgents. He, however, confirmed that an officer was killed in action during the encounter.
He further disclosed that at about 1:15 a.m. on March 1, terrorists armed with PKT guns, rocket-propelled grenades and armed drones attacked FOB Gajiram but were repelled by determined troops supported by air assets.
According to him, three terrorist bodies were recovered along the withdrawal route, alongside four AK-47 rifles, five anti-tank bombs, three locally fabricated mortar bombs and one armed drone.
Other items recovered included six fully loaded 7.62mm NATO magazines, barbed wire cutters, specialised ammunition and poisoned arrows.
Uba said one wounded soldier was airlifted by a Nigerian Army Aviation helicopter for advanced medical care.
He noted that in related offensive operations under Sector 2, troops engaged terrorists at Kayawa Village, forcing them to flee and abandon a tricycle, three motorcycles and five bicycles.
The spokesman added that troops also destroyed identified terrorist life-support structures and arrested two suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers, recovering drugs and medical consumables allegedly used to treat wounded insurgents.
In a separate ambush around Bulturam Corner and Dadingel in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe, he said troops neutralised two terrorists and recovered two AK-47 rifles, four AK-47 magazines and a bicycle.
Uba said all affected locations remained under the control of troops, stressing that the recoveries and confirmed enemy losses underscored the degrading combat capacity of ISWAP elements in the North-East.
