Operation HADIN KAI Borno foils terrorist attack as troops kill insurgents and recover weapons, reinforcing security in Nigeria’s North East region

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) successfully repelled an early-morning terrorist attempt to infiltrate the Bitta area of Borno State from the Mandara Mountains, killing several insurgents and weakening their operational capability.

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According to Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force (North East), the engagement occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Thursday. Troops, supported by advanced surveillance systems, detected terrorists advancing toward Bitta.

Acting with tactical restraint, soldiers allowed the insurgents to move within effective engagement range before launching coordinated defensive fire.

“During the ensuing firefight, several terrorists were neutralised, including a senior fighter and his cameraman,” Uba said in a post on the Nigerian Army’s X handle.

As the remaining insurgents attempted to retreat, the Air Component of OPHK conducted precision strikes, further disrupting withdrawal routes and inflicting additional casualties.

Following the engagement, ground forces conducted a thorough exploitation of the area, recovering a significant cache of weapons and logistics.

Recovered items included a camcorder, AK-47 rifles, bandoliers, handheld radios, loaded AK-47 magazines, PKT machine guns, linked ammunition, mobile phones, motorcycles, and bicycles.

Subsequent searches uncovered multiple blood trails and shallow graves, indicating further losses among the insurgents during ground operations and air strikes.

Uba added that troops’ morale remains high as OPHK continues sustained operations to deny terrorists freedom of action and protect local communities.

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“The operation underscores the military’s resolve to decisively defeat terrorist elements and restore lasting peace and stability across Nigeria’s North East region,” he said.