Troops foil terrorist attacks, kill ISWAP commander in Borno

The troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have thwarted coordinated terrorist attacks in the Pulka and Mandaragirau areas of Borno State.

The Force Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, in a statement issued on Sunday, said the troops engaged the terrorists in a gun battle and neutralised many of the assailants on Saturday, February 14, 2026.

Uba disclosed that large group of suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists advanced from the Sambisa Forest axis and launched a fierce attack on troops of Sector 1 in Pulka.

Uba said the troops, in a well-coordinated response, engaged the terrorists in an intense firefight and killed a senior terrorist commander, identified as Abou Aisha.

He stated: “Although a section of the perimeter was briefly breached leading to the destruction of some combat enablers and accommodation. Impressively, swift reinforcement with overwhelming firepower from 26 Brigade forced the terrorists to retreat in disarray towards the Sambisa axis.

“Credible intelligence indicates that the terrorists suffered severe casualties, including a senior commander identified as Abou Aisha who sustained a critical gunshot injury to the neck leading to his death alongside significant losses of weapons and equipment. There was no single human casualty to troops during the attack on Pulka.”

Uba revealed that the troops of Sector 2 at Mandaragirau also came under a coordinated multi-pronged attack by ISWAP terrorists mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles.

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Uba said the troops, who already anticipated such action, tactically emplaced combat teams that decisively engaged the terrorists.

He added: “The attack was successfully thwarted after a fierce exchange without any breach to the defence of the location.

“Regrettably, some gallant personnel and Civilian Joint Task Force members paid the supreme price in the defence of their location, while few soldiers sustained injuries and were immediately evacuated by Air Component of OPHK and the Nigerian Army Aviation platforms. Their sacrifice embodies the highest traditions of service, courage, and commitment to the defence of Nigeria.

“Follow-up exploitation along the Kimba axis revealed blood trails, shallow graves, and abandoned items, while eyewitness accounts confirmed the evacuation of multiple terrorist casualties towards Kimba, further underscoring the scale of enemy losses.”

The Star