Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
KUKARETA, NORTH-EAST NIGERIA — In a fierce predawn confrontation, troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have repelled a major terrorist onslaught on the town of Kukareta, neutralising at least 24 attackers in a running battle that lasted nearly three hours.
The assault began shortly after midnight on 23 April 2026, with heavily armed terrorists attempting to overrun the community. But within minutes, soldiers from Sector 2 launched a deliberate offensive-defensive counter-strike, metering out what a military statement called “a swift and coordinated response.”
By 0300 hours, the terrorists were in chaotic retreat, leaving behind a grim trail of blood, abandoned medical supplies, and scores of their dead.
“Troops inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers, with 24 terrorists neutralised so far,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer for the operation.
As dawn broke, exploitation teams fanned out across the battlefield and along the enemy’s withdrawal routes. What they found painted a picture of a force caught in its own killing ground: 18 AK-47 rifles, three General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), two PKT machine guns, three Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tubes, two mortar tubes, four hand grenades, 18 AK-47 magazines, and large quantities of belted 7.62mm ammunition for PKT systems.
Two soldiers were wounded in action. Both have since been stabilised. One reinforcing armoured vehicle also took a hit, with all its tyres blown out during the engagement.
“Blood trails litter the withdrawal routes,” Lieutenant Colonel Uba added, “along with abandoned medical supplies, indicating further terrorist casualties beyond the 24 confirmed dead.”
The Military High Command has praised the troops’ “impressive battle performance” and urged them to sustain aggressive operations. For now, the bodies of the slain insurgents are still being recovered as OPHK maintains “sustained offensive pressure” across the Joint Operations Area.
Kukareta, for its part, awoke to the sound of silence — and the unmistakable smell of gunpowder and a narrow, bloody victory.
