No fewer than 25 terrorists were killed and 10 motorcycles destroyed during coordinated ground and air operations by troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), in Borno State.
The terrorists were killed after they attacked troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed in Kukawa on Friday but were repelled and forced to withdraw towards the Cross Kauwa axis.
The Acting Military Information Officer of OPHK, Capt. Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
Goni said the troops responded swiftly with effective direct and indirect fire, compelling the terrorists to withdraw from the area.
“During the fierce engagement, several terrorists were neutralised, while others were observed to have sustained gunshot wounds as they fled the area,” he said.
He said subsequent exploitation by the troops led to the recovery of terrorist corpses, confirming the casualties inflicted on the attackers.
According to him, as the terrorists withdrew towards Cross Kauwa on motorcycles, the Air Component of OPHK was promptly coordinated to interdict their movement.
“Despite challenging weather conditions, the Air Component successfully engaged terrorists taking cover under trees, neutralising an estimated 10 terrorists,” Goni said.
He added that Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) subsequently tracked about 20 motorcycles conveying fleeing terrorists towards the Tunbuns/Kangarwa axis.
Goni said the intelligence provided by the ISR assets enabled the Air Component to conduct a follow-up precision strike, killing an additional 15 terrorists and destroying 10 motorcycles.
Troops repel ISWAP attack on Borno base, kill several terrorists
“During subsequent exploitation operations, ground troops recovered two motorcycles, neutralised an additional terrorist and recovered assorted ammunition and other items,” he said.
He said the coordinated ground and air operations disrupted the attack, intercepted the terrorists’ withdrawal and further degraded their capacity to regroup or launch sustained operations in the area.
Goni added that troops were subsequently replenished by air with essential combat enablers to sustain their operational effectiveness and maintain pressure on the terrorists.
“Four personnel recorded no life-threatening injuries during the engagement.
“The wounded personnel were promptly evacuated by air for further medical attention and are confirmed to be in stable condition,” he said.
According to him, troops have since begun reorganisation and extensive exploitation of the area, while battle damage assessment and further evaluation of the encounter continue.
Goni said the successful defence of Kukawa demonstrated OPHK’s capacity to detect, contain and respond decisively to terrorist threats by integrating ground forces, air assets and intelligence capabilities.
He added that the operation also underscored “the resilience, courage and professionalism of troops operating across the Theatre.”
