Troops neutralise dozens of Insurgents, dismantle enclaves in Borno

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have intensified offensive operations against terrorist groups in Borno State, killing several insurgents and destroying key enclaves in coordinated ground and air assaults.

Security sources said the operations, conducted under Operation Desert Sanity V, targeted terrorist hideouts across the Bulabulin Forest and Timbuktu axes, with significant support from the Air Component.

According to the sources, troops of Sector 2, alongside a stabilisation force brigade and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, cleared multiple enclaves in Mar, Subdu, Yaro Lawanti and Yaro Shuwari areas near the Bulabulin Forest and Kamadogu Yobe corridor.

During an encounter around Malam Shiri Village, troops executed a coordinated flanking manoeuvre, engaging insurgents in a fierce battle that led to the killing of 11 terrorists, while others escaped with injuries. Several life-support structures were destroyed, and weapons and logistics were recovered, including nine AK-47 rifles, three PKT machine guns, five motorcycles, ammunition, and IED-making materials.

In a separate operation along the Timbuktu axis on the Wajiroko–Sabon Gari route, troops, backed by air strikes, engaged another group of insurgents, killing seven fighters and inflicting further casualties on those who fled. Recovered items included rifles, rocket-propelled grenade tubes, communication equipment, and large quantities of ammunition.

Further advances in the Bulabulin axis saw troops confront terrorists around Bultuwa in Yunusari Local Government Area, where six insurgents were killed and additional weapons and materials were seized. No troop casualties were recorded in the encounter, though some vehicles sustained tyre damage.

Meanwhile, troops near Azir Bridge came under a late-night attack involving armed drones. Reinforcements responding to the incident encountered an improvised explosive device that struck a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle without causing additional losses.

Air support was subsequently deployed, carrying out precision strikes on terrorist positions and forcing the attackers to retreat. Two insurgents were confirmed killed in the aftermath, while one soldier lost his life during the engagement.

Sources noted that the Air Component played a critical role by providing intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and precision strikes that significantly weakened the insurgents.

Troops have since launched follow-up operations along the Forfor, Multe and Wajiroko axes to track fleeing fighters and prevent regrouping, as security forces continue to assert dominance across the theatre.