Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have intensified ongoing counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria’s North-East, leading to the arrest of 16 suspected terrorists and the interception of critical logistics believed to be intended for insurgent groups operating across the region.
Details of the operation were contained in an official report released by the Nigerian Army and made available to journalists on Monday, highlighting a series of coordinated offensives targeting terrorist supply chains and movement corridors.
According to the report, troops of the 3 Battalion (Mechanised), acting on credible intelligence, intercepted 19 jerrycans of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) alongside two carts in Gamboru/Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, a strategic border community adjoining Cameroon. The operation focused on dismantling suspected smuggling routes frequently exploited by insurgents for fuel supply, a critical resource for sustaining their operations.
Military sources indicated that the troops conducted targeted raids along these routes, forcing suspected smugglers to flee and abandon the items. The interception underscores ongoing concerns over cross-border logistics networks that continue to aid insurgent activities in the Lake Chad region.
In a separate but related operation, troops intercepted 16 individuals along the Biu–Buratai–Kamuya road in Biu Local Government Area. While the suspects reportedly claimed affiliation with hybrid security forces, a thorough search reportedly uncovered ammunition, loaded magazines, materials used in the fabrication of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), military gear, and multiple mobile phones, raising suspicion about their true identities and mission.
The report further disclosed that troops recovered a motorcycle previously stolen during a terrorist attack in neighbouring Yobe State, indicating continued efforts to track and retrieve assets linked to insurgent operations.
In Borno State, particularly within Chibok Local Government Area, troops responding to intelligence on terrorist movement engaged insurgents in a brief but decisive firefight. The encounter reportedly forced the insurgents to retreat, further demonstrating the military’s sustained pressure on hostile elements within the theatre.
Military authorities noted that these operations form part of the broader offensive under Operation Desert Sanity V, a strategic campaign designed to disrupt terrorist logistics, degrade their operational capabilities, and deny them freedom of movement across key sectors in the North-East.
With continued patrols and clearance missions across Sectors 3 and 4, the Nigerian Army maintains that it is committed to consolidating recent gains, dismantling criminal networks, and restoring stability in communities long affected by insurgency.
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