BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS
Troops of the Joint Task Force in the North-East under Operation Hadin Kai have repelled coordinated attacks by suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), killing more than 20 insurgents in Yobe State.
The military said the attacks targeted troops stationed in Goniri under Sector 2 of the operation from the night of Monday, March 9, through the early hours of Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said the terrorists launched assaults from multiple directions in an attempt to surround the troops’ position.
According to him, surveillance assets initially detected the insurgents advancing simultaneously from Goniri village and the Ngamdu Junction axis.
“The terrorists were detected through surveillance assets advancing from Goniri village and the Ngamdu Junction axis in an apparent attempt to encircle the military location,” Uba said.
He noted that troops responded swiftly with superior firepower and coordinated defensive manoeuvres, while reinforcements were mobilised and the air component of the operation provided close air support.
During the intense firefight, the insurgents were overwhelmed and forced to retreat.
“Over 20 terrorists were neutralised, including a senior terrorist commander identified as Abu Yusu, the Munzir of Dursula,” the statement said.
Troops also recovered several weapons and equipment abandoned by the fleeing insurgents, including machine guns, AK-47 rifles, improvised explosive devices, bombs and assorted ammunition.
Uba added that follow-up clearance operations were carried out in Gwaigomari within the Timbuktu Triangle, where additional bodies of insurgents were discovered during patrols conducted up to the early hours of Wednesday, March 11.
He said soldiers injured during the encounter had been evacuated for treatment and were in stable condition, adding that the location remained firmly under the control of Operation Hadin Kai troops.
Ground forces, supported by the air component, have since launched aggressive search and clearance operations in surrounding communities where wounded insurgents were believed to have fled.
Uba reiterated that Operation Hadin Kai remains committed to defeating insurgency and restoring lasting peace in the North-East.
Herdsman killed, 1,400 sheep rustled in Borno
In a separate incident, suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists attacked a nomadic settlement in Wuturo, Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, killing one herder and rustling about 1,400 sheep.
The spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, confirmed the attack in a statement on Thursday.
He said the assailants, riding on five motorcycles, stormed the settlement on Tuesday at about 10:30pm.
Preliminary investigations showed that a 40-year-old herder, Ahmadu Baida, was shot dead during the attack, while another victim, Mohammadu Baida, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.
“The attackers also rustled about 1,400 sheep belonging to the herdsmen,” Daso said.
Meanwhile, the military on Thursday announced that it had reclaimed its base in Ngoshe following an earlier ISWAP attack.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, said after a meeting with service chiefs that the armed forces would intensify and restructure operations across theatres of conflict to counter insurgent threats.
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