Troops repel ISWAP attack on Gonori base, recover weapons

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled an attempted attack by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province fighters on a military base in Borno State, killing several insurgents and recovering weapons during the operation.

Military sources said the attack targeted the Forward Operating Base of the 120 Task Force Battalion in Gonori under Sector 2 of the North-East counter-insurgency operation.

The incident reportedly occurred between late Saturday and the early hours of Sunday when the insurgents advanced toward the base from the Mandunari axis around midnight.

According to security sources, troops on ambush duty detected the movement early and immediately launched a coordinated counterattack to stop the advancing fighters.

The operation later received support from the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai and the Nigerian Army Aviation, leading to a combined air and ground assault on the fleeing insurgents.

Military authorities said the terrorists suffered heavy casualties during the encounter, while troops successfully defended the base without any breach or loss of equipment.

Following the clash, troops reportedly conducted exploitation operations around the area and discovered bloodstains, body parts and the corpses of several insurgents, indicating significant losses among the attackers.

The military also recovered one General Purpose Machine Gun, two PKT machine guns, five AK-47 rifles and belts of assorted ammunition abandoned by the fleeing terrorists.

Authorities confirmed that some soldiers sustained injuries during the gun battle but were stable and receiving treatment.

They added that pursuit and clearance operations were ongoing to track down escaping insurgents and consolidate gains recorded during the operation.

The military noted that the failed assault reflected the operational readiness of troops and the sustained pressure being mounted against terrorist groups in the North-East.