How Troops of Operation HADIN KAI Foiled ISWAP Assaults in Borno, Recover Heavy Weapons in Fierce Counteroffensive
Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), under Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have crushed multiple coordinated attacks by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on key Forward Operating Bases in Borno State, killing several insurgents and recovering a cache of heavy arms and ammunition.
The failed assaults, launched between the late hours of February 28 and the early hours of March 1, targeted Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Mayanti, Gajigana and Gajiram.
Military authorities described the attacks as desperate attempts by terrorists reeling from sustained offensives against their enclaves, logistics routes and leadership structures.
At FOB Mayanti, troops came under heavy attack from a large number of insurgents on February 28. Despite intense gunfire and threats from ambushes and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), reinforcements pushed through to support the embattled troops, ultimately routing the attackers.
Five terrorist bodies were recovered, alongside 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.
Blood trails along the withdrawal routes suggested additional enemy casualties. One officer, however, was killed in action. Hours later, at about 1:15 a.m. on March 1, ISWAP fighters armed with PKT guns, rocket-propelled grenades and an armed drone launched another assault on FOB Gajiram.
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Determined resistance by ground forces, backed by air support, forced the attackers into retreat. Three insurgent bodies were recovered, along with four AK-47 rifles, five anti-tank bombs, three locally fabricated mortar bombs, one armed drone, six fully loaded 7.62mm NATO magazines, barbed wire cutters, specialised ammunition and other equipment abandoned in flight.
A wounded soldier was airlifted by a Nigerian Army Aviation helicopter for advanced medical treatment.
In a related encounter at Gajigana, troops successfully repelled an attempted infiltration, maintaining full control of their position.
Meanwhile, offensive operations under Sector 2 recorded further gains. Troops engaged fleeing terrorists at Kayawa Village, forcing them to abandon a tricycle, three motorcycles and five bicycles. Identified life-support structures were destroyed, while two suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers were arrested with drugs and medical consumables believed to have been used in treating wounded fighters.
In a separate ambush around Bulturam Corner and Dadingel in Gujba Local Government Area, troops neutralised two terrorists and recovered two AK-47 rifles, four magazines and a bicycle.
Military authorities confirmed that all attacked and contested locations remain firmly under troop control. The scale of recovered weapons and confirmed enemy casualties, they said, underscores the degrading combat capacity of ISWAP elements in the North East.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), reaffirmed the military’s resolve to sustain offensive operations until all terrorist threats in the region are decisively neutralised.