By Ayodele Oni
An early morning attempt by suspected bandits to overrun a military base in Borno state, has been repelled by troops.
Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have subdued a multi-front attack launched by ISWAP terrorists on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mandaragirau in Borno State.
No fewer than 38 insurgents lost their life during exchange of fire.
According to a press statement issued on Saturday by the Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the terrorists launched what he described as a “half-hearted attack” on the base in the early hours of Saturday, March 28, 2026.
He explained that the troops responded with well-coordinated ambushes and a deliberate offensive-defensive strategy that forced the attackers into a disorderly retreat.
Uba disclosed that the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI also played a critical role by providing close air support and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) feedback, which enhanced targeted kinetic responses against the fleeing terrorists.
Items recovered from the terrorists include seven AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, four RPG bombs and assorted ammunition.
Despite the intensity of the attack, the troops recorded no fatalities.
However, one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle was hit by RPG fire, while injured personnel were promptly stabilised.
The statement stated that the scale of losses suffered by the terrorists has sparked jubilation among local communities, describing the outcome as a strong indication of the sustained operational dominance of OPHK troops in denying insurgents freedom of action in the North-East.
He added that follow-up exploitation operations along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted additional heavy losses on the insurgents.
“A total of about 38 terrorists were neutralised, with eight bodies recovered so far within the immediate engagement area, while human intelligence from locals confirmed over 30 additional terrorist bodies and weapons strewn along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle,”
The spokesman noted that the claim was further supported by visible blood trails and abandoned equipment found along the escape routes.
Lieutenant Colonel Uba added that further exploitation operations are ongoing along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis at the fringes of the Timbuktu Triangle to recover more terrorist corpses and consolidate the gains recorded during the operation.
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