Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have foiled a coordinated attack by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on a military position in Borno State, killing several insurgents and recovering a cache of weapons and other combat equipment.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mandaragirau in Biu Local Government Area, where troops of the 162 Amphibious Battalion successfully defended the position against the insurgents.
According to a statement issued by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, the terrorists launched the assault at about 2:00 a.m., advancing simultaneously from two different directions in an apparent attempt to overwhelm the troops.
The military said surveillance and early warning systems detected the movement of the attackers before they reached the base, enabling commanders to deploy a combat team to intercept one of the advancing groups.
The troops engaged the insurgents in a fierce gun battle, forcing them to retreat after suffering significant losses.
While the first group was being confronted, another set of terrorists reportedly attempted to sneak into the camp through a different route. However, soldiers stationed at the base responded with sustained firepower, frustrating the infiltration attempt and compelling the attackers to withdraw.
Following the failed assault, troops pursued the fleeing insurgents and carried out a thorough exploitation of the battlefield and the routes used during their retreat.
The military disclosed that several terrorists were neutralised during the operation, while troops recovered AK-47 rifles with loaded magazines, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher with bombs and chargers, a camcorder video camera and other combat items abandoned by the fleeing insurgents.
According to the statement, surveillance footage later captured some of the surviving terrorists evacuating the bodies of their slain comrades toward the Timbuktu Triangle.
The military added that no soldier was killed or injured during the encounter.
The Theatre Command praised the officers and men of the 162 Amphibious Battalion for what it described as exceptional courage, discipline and tactical professionalism in repelling the attack.
It reiterated that Operation HADIN KAI remains committed to sustaining offensive operations aimed at denying terrorists freedom of movement and restoring lasting peace across the North-East.
