Heavy Casualties As Troops Repel Major Terrorist Onslaught Across North-East Nigeria

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria – In a significant military engagement, Nigerian forces have quashed a series of coordinated terrorist attacks across Borno and Yobe states, inflicting heavy casualties on the assailants.

In the early hours of Thursday, 23rd October 2025, troops of Operation HADIN KAI successfully repelled simultaneous assaults on their positions in the towns of Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo, and Katarko.

The attacks, which occurred between midnight and 4 a.m., were met with what the military described as gallant and professional resistance.

According to a statement from Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force, the integrated response from ground forces and air support proved decisive.

Precision airstrikes from the Air Component, guided by enhanced battlefield intelligence, allowed troops to respond with “overwhelming and lethal force.”

The operation resulted in the neutralisation of over 50 terrorists. The military also confirmed the capture of a significant arsenal, including 38 AK-47 rifles, seven machine guns, five rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Intelligence reports suggest the terrorists who attacked Dikwa and Gajibo had manoeuvred from neighbouring Cameroon, while those assaulting Katarko emerged from the notorious Timbuktu Triangle enclave.

The victory was not without cost. The military acknowledged that some troops were wounded in action, though they are reported to be in a stable condition.

Furthermore, terrorist attacks involving armed drones and RPGs set fire to several vehicles and buildings, with defences in Mafa and Dikwa being “momentarily breached.”

The Military High Command has commended the troops for their “gallantry, doggedness and renewed charge,” stating that their performance reaffirms the military’s capacity to defend the nation’s territorial integrity.

The statement highlighted that the introduction of additional personnel and critical combat equipment into the theatre has bolstered these efforts.