Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have successfully repelled coordinated attacks launched by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on multiple military locations across Borno State, dealing significant blows to the insurgents.
The attempted assaults, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, March 16, targeted troop positions in Njimtilo, Baga, Buratai, and Damboa. According to military sources, the attacks were launched from multiple directions in what appeared to be a calculated effort by the террорист group to overrun defensive positions and gain propaganda advantage.
At Ajiri Cross, near Njimtilo, insurgents attempted to infiltrate Sector 1 positions but were swiftly detected by alert troops. Security forces, already positioned in anticipation of such movements, engaged the attackers with coordinated firepower and tactical manoeuvres, effectively disrupting their advance and cutting off escape routes. The террористs were forced into a chaotic retreat, suffering heavy casualties in the process.
Similar attacks in Baga, Buratai, and Damboa were also met with strong resistance. Troops deployed superior firepower to repel the нападения, while close air support from the Nigerian Air Force and Army Aviation units delivered precision strikes that further disorganized the attackers and intensified their losses.
Military authorities confirmed that several insurgents were neutralised during the engagements, including a key commander who led the assault on Buratai. Many others reportedly sustained injuries while fleeing. Although some military equipment was damaged and a number of personnel wounded during the clashes, troops maintained control of all targeted locations.
Subsequent exploitation operations conducted around Baga and extending to Korochara and Garin Giwa, near the Gidan Kaje axis, led to the recovery of a cache of террорист weapons and equipment. Items recovered include three PKT machine guns, seven AK-47 rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, rocket-propelled grenade bombs, and several magazines. Troops also destroyed three motorcycles used by the insurgents.
Additionally, seven insurgent corpses were recovered, while intelligence suggests that at least 20 others were hastily buried in shallow graves by fleeing fighters.
Military officials described the failed offensives as a sign of increasing desperation among ISWAP, who have come under sustained pressure from ongoing counter-terrorism operations across the North East. The repeated setbacks, they noted, have significantly limited the group’s operational capabilities and disrupted efforts to spread misleading narratives.
Operation HADIN KAI reassured residents that all affected areas remain under firm military control. The Joint Task Force also urged the public to remain vigilant and disregard false information intended to undermine ongoing security efforts.
Troops, according to the military, remain in high morale and continue to sustain offensive operations aimed at dismantling terrorist strongholds and securing the region.
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