Several terrorists and some of their key leaders were neutralised during midnight attacks by troops of Operation Hadin Kai as the insurgents attempted to overrun four military locations across Borno State.
The attacks lasted for over five hours between Thursday and Friday around Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok communities.
In a statement, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, North-East Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sanni Uba, explained that the attacks were launched at about 10 pm on Thursday and 3 am on Friday.
He further explained that troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East) Operation HADIN KAI successfully disrupted coordinated terrorist attempts to overrun troops’ locations in Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok.
Uba stated that the desperate attacks were launched between approximately 10:30 pm on Thursday and 3 am of Friday, adding that the attackers were met with overwhelming resistance from alert troops who firmly held their defensive positions despite the intensity of the assaults.
He said, “In a well-coordinated response, the troops executed simultaneous flanking manoeuvres alongside reinforcement teams drawn from Sectors 1 and 2, decisively routing the attacking terrorists and forcing them into disorganised withdrawals.”
In some isolated instances where sections of the defensive perimeter were temporarily breached, the Media Information Officer said the troops swiftly counter-attacked and fully regained control of their positions.
According to him, during the fierce engagements, several terrorist leaders, including key Amirs (leaders), were neutralised, while other insurgent fighters were eliminated during the counter-offensive.
He explained that some structures within the locations sustained damage during the intense firefights, but all bases remain firmly under the control of OPHK troops.
Uba stated that multiple precision air strikes were conducted overnight against fleeing terrorist elements and identified hostile positions in close coordination with the Air Component, thereby further neutralising scores of insurgents and degrading their fighting capability.
He assured that ground troops are currently conducting exploitation operations across the affected areas, with the recovery of terrorist corpses, weapons and other combat equipment ongoing.
He regrettably explained that a number of brave soldiers paid the supreme price in the line of duty, including a gallant officer who fought courageously from the front while leading his troops against the attackers.
He said that their sacrifice reflects the unwavering commitment of the Nigerian Armed Forces to defending the nation and protecting innocent citizens.
