Troops repel ISWAP attack in Malam Fatori

Troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and the Nigerian Army have dealt a major blow to ISWAP terrorists after successfully repelling a coordinated dawn attack on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kangar in Malam Fatori, a strategic town on the fringes of Lake Chad.

According to intelligence obtained by security analyst Zagazola Makama, the attack occurred at about 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday when ISWAP fighters launched a heavy assault involving armed drones, mortar shelling, and rapid ground movement — an operation designed to overrun the base and inflict heavy casualties.

Troops, supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), withstood the initial barrage, quickly reorganised, and mounted a fierce counteroffensive.

Reinforcements from the main battalion soon joined, leading to a brief but intense firefight that broke the attackers’ momentum and forced them into retreat.

A senior military commander said the attack was “decisively repelled”, noting that troop morale and combat efficiency remained high.

The turning point came when Nigerien ground attack aircraft under the MNJTF joined the operation, striking ISWAP firing positions and forcing the terrorists to flee toward the Tumbuns, the islands along Lake Chad.

Following the battle, troops conducted a battlefield exploitation and confirmed six terrorists neutralised, while recovering a significant cache of weapons, including 5 AK-47 rifles, 8 AK-47 magazines, 258 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 5 RPG bombs, 4 armed drone bombs, 5 hand grenades

Sources said several other ISWAP bodies were seen being evacuated by their fleeing comrades, indicating a much higher casualty figure on the enemy’s side.

As the militants attempted to escape deeper into the Tumbuns, the Nigerien Air Force launched follow-up air strikes on clustered movements detected by surveillance drones, reportedly neutralising “additional scores” of terrorists.

Despite ISWAP’s use of armed drones — a growing and worrying trend — troops of FOB Kangar held their ground.

A few soldiers and CJTF members sustained injuries from the initial drone and mortar strikes but were swiftly evacuated by MNJTF air assets for medical treatment.

All injured personnel are said to be in stable condition.

Malam Fatori and the Lake Chad region remain one of the most contested zones in the fight against terrorism, serving as a vital route for insurgent logistics and cross-border movement.

However, Tuesday’s response by the MNJTF and allied forces demonstrates that terrorists’ freedom of movement around the border area is rapidly shrinking.

“We are here to hold this ground. No retreat,” one soldier said after the battle.

Operations are still ongoing in the general area, with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms maintaining aerial dominance to track residual threats.