Troops Kill 48 Terrorists, Recover Arms Cache in Borno, Yobe Counter-Offensives
Troops of the Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI, have neutralised 48 terrorists and recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition during counter-offensives against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in Borno and Yobe states.
The operations, conducted between October 29 and the early hours of October 30, 2026, followed attempted attacks on military positions in Bitta, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, and the North East Theatre Training School (NETTS), Buni Yadi, in Gujba LGA of Yobe State.
In Bitta, troops, supported by air assets, successfully repelled a terrorist assault on the night of October 29, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers and thwarting their attempt to overrun the military position.
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Similarly, troops launched a decisive counter-offensive against a large concentration of ISWAP fighters who attacked NETTS Buni Yadi. The approximately five-hour engagement was coordinated by the Theatre Command, with intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities integrated with air and ground operations.
The counter-offensive resulted in the neutralisation of 48 terrorists and the recovery of a substantial cache of weapons and ammunition.
Items recovered included 42 AK-47 rifles, five PKT machine guns, four general-purpose machine guns, one 60mm mortar, 105 AK-47 magazines and two video cameras.
The recovered ammunition comprised 30 rounds of 12.7mm armour-piercing incendiary ammunition, 2,738 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 223 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition and 2,054 rounds of PKT ammunition.
However, the engagements came at a cost, with one soldier killed in action, while two others sustained minor injuries and are responding to treatment.
Despite the casualties, the morale of the troops remains high as they sustain operations against terrorist elements across the theatre.
The Acting Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed the operational successes in a statement issued on Friday, October 30.
He said the latest victories underscored the troops’ combat effectiveness, operational coordination and determination to deny terrorists freedom of action.
According to him, the heavy losses suffered by the insurgents, alongside the recovery of their weapons and ammunition, represent a significant setback to their operational capabilities.
