Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
TROOPS from the Joint Task Force in the North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have killed at least 25 terrorists and thwarted a wave of coordinated assaults across multiple fronts in Borno State, in what the military has described as a significant blow to insurgent groups.
In a statement released on Sunday, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the operation‘s Media Information Officer, detailed how troops demonstrated “clear combat superiority” during intense firefights in Limankara and Kukawa on the night of 20 February, as well as in a subsequent precision operation in Gujba Local Government Area.
The most significant engagement took place in Kukawa, where terrorists mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles launched a “multi-pronged attack” from the Alagarno and Jemmu axes. The assault, which began late on 20 February, extended into the early hours of the following day. Troops on the ground, supported by the Air Component, mounted a determined defence.
According to Lt Col Uba, aerial surveillance and subsequent precision strikes proved decisive. One terrorist gun truck was destroyed, killing four fighters inside. After tracking fleeing insurgents on motorcycles to a convergence point, another air strike destroyed the bikes and neutralised a further ten combatants.
Following the clearance of the area, troops recovered 13 AK-47 rifles, 16 loaded magazines, and three handheld radios used by the insurgents for communication. The military noted that “shallow graves and blood trails” left by the terrorists indicated the scale of their losses . However, the military confirmed that one soldier was killed in action during the Kukawa encounter, and some “combat enablers” were destroyed by rocket fire. Wounded personnel were evacuated by helicopter and are reported to be in a stable condition .
In a separate operation in the early hours of 22 February, troops from Sector 2, acting on weeks of intelligence including satellite imagery, conducted a strike on Lamusheri Village in Gujba LGA. Identified as a key terrorist logistics hub and launch pad, the position was stormed by troops who outflanked the insurgents and cut off their escape routes. During the ensuing firefight, 15 terrorists were neutralised, while many others fled with gunshot wounds. Five terrorist tricycles and two vehicles were set ablaze, and a cache of arms and ammunition was recovered .
The same night, terrorists also attempted to infiltrate the Forward Operating Base at Limankara. Alert troops engaged the attackers, and with rapid reinforcement, compelled them to flee in disarray through a nearby burial ground. Military sources confirmed there were no military casualties in that specific incident, though human intelligence reports suggest several terrorists were killed .
The military high command has commended the troops for their “impressive battle performance” and urged them to sustain the operational tempo. Lt Col Uba stated that these failed attacks reflect the “immense pressure” being placed on terrorist enclaves and leadership structures across the theatre .
