Troops kill scores of terrorists, destroy enclaves in Borno operations
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have sustained offensive operations against terrorist groups in Borno State, neutralising several insurgents and destroying key enclaves in coordinated ground and air assaults.
Security sources said the operations, conducted under Operation Desert Sanity V, targeted terrorist hideouts across the Bulabulin Forest and Timbuktu axes, with strong support from the Air Component Command.
According to the sources, troops of Sector 2, in conjunction with a stabilisation force brigade and elements of the Civilian Joint Task Force, cleared multiple enclaves in Mar, Subdu, Yaro Lawanti and Yaro Shuwari areas, which are contiguous to the Bulabulin Forest and the Kamadogu Yobe stretch.
The sources disclosed that troops made contact with terrorists around Malam Shiri Village, where they executed a coordinated flanking manoeuvre and engaged the insurgents in a fierce battle.
“A total of 11 terrorists were neutralised during the encounter, while others fled with injuries. Troops destroyed life-support structures within the enclaves and recovered significant quantities of arms and logistics,” the sources said.
Recovered items include nine AK-47 rifles, three PKT machine guns, five motorcycles, assorted ammunition, and materials used for the fabrication of improvised explosive devices.
In a related engagement along the Timbuktu axis on the Wajiroko–Sabon Gari corridor, troops, supported by air strikes, engaged another group of terrorists and maintained tactical superiority throughout the encounter.
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The sources said seven terrorists were confirmed killed, while traces of blood and dismembered body parts suggested additional casualties among the fleeing fighters.
Items recovered from the scene include AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade tubes, bandoliers, communication equipment, and a large cache of ammunition.
Further operational reports indicated that troops advancing through the Bulabulin axis also engaged terrorists around Bultuwa in Yunusari Local Government Area, where six insurgents were killed and additional weapons, including AK-47 rifles, a PKT machine gun, motorcycles, ammunition, and IED-making materials, were recovered. No casualties were recorded among troops, although some vehicles sustained tyre damage during the operation.
Meanwhile, troops deployed around the Azir Bridge area came under attack late at night by terrorists using armed drones. Reinforcements moving to the location encountered an improvised explosive device, which struck a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle without causing further losses.
Air assets were subsequently deployed, with multiple precision strikes conducted on terrorist positions, forcing the attackers to retreat.
The sources confirmed that two terrorist bodies and a rifle were recovered after the engagement, while one soldier was killed in action.
They added that the Air Component Command played a decisive role in the operations by providing continuous intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as precision strikes on identified targets, which significantly degraded the terrorists’ capabilities.
Troops are currently conducting follow-up exploitation operations along the Forfor, Multe and Wajiroko axes to track fleeing insurgents and prevent regrouping.
The sources said the sustained operations demonstrate increasing operational effectiveness and continued dominance by security forces across the theatre.