Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, repelled attacks on two military bases in Borno State on Thursday, September 17, 2026, killing terrorists and recovering weapons and other military equipment during separate engagements.
The incidents occurred at Forward Operating Base Gajiram in Nganzai Local Government Area and Forward Operating Base Mairari in Guzamala Local Government Area.
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Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed the developments in a statement posted on X on Friday.
Goni said troops detected terrorists advancing towards FOB Gajiram on September 17 with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support from the Multinational Joint Task Force.
The troops immediately adopted defensive measures while the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support.
“Faced with the coordinated response, the terrorists withdrew from the vicinity of the location into adjoining areas,” Goni said.
Later that night, fighters identified by the military as members of the Islamic State West Africa Province attacked FOB Mairari.
The attackers encountered stiff resistance from the troops, who were supported by close air support from the Air Component.
According to Goni, the assault was successfully contained and casualties were inflicted on the attackers.
“Subsequent exploitation led to the recovery of four terrorists’ corpses, some AK-47 rifles, magazines, quantities of ammunition, RPG bombs and a camcorder, among other items,” he said.
Some soldiers were injured during the engagement and were stabilised before being airlifted to a hospital for further medical treatment.
Following the clashes, the Commander, Sector 3 Operation HADIN KAI, Major General Ibikunle Ajose, conducted a post-engagement assessment of the affected locations.
The military subsequently reinforced the two positions, while troops continued operations in surrounding areas to prevent the terrorists from regrouping.
The latest attacks came amid sustained military operations across the Joint Operations Area, which have also resulted in the surrender of two members of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, including a Qaid, or commander.
The two fighters surrendered to troops of Sector 1 Operation HADIN KAI along the Miyanti-Darel Jamel axis in Bama Local Government Area on September 16.
The military said the men surrendered with three AK-47 rifles, five magazines, a motorcycle and a quantity of ammunition.
The two suspects remain in military custody and are undergoing preliminary investigation and profiling.
Ajose commended the troops, the MNJTF intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance team and the aircrew for their vigilance, courage and coordination during the operations.
The theatre commander reaffirmed the task force’s commitment to maintaining operational pressure on terrorist groups while protecting communities across the North-East.
He also urged terrorists still operating in the bush to surrender through established channels.
Ajose called on residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security forces, saying public cooperation remains important to ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
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The military’s account of the engagements could not independently establish the identities or total number of casualties among the terrorists beyond the four bodies it said were recovered.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
