Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have eliminated 16 ISWAP terrorists and rescued 11 kidnapped victims during coordinated counter-offensive operations across Borno State.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Sani Uba.
According to Mr Uba, the military action followed a failed midnight assault by ISWAP fighters on the Forward Operating Base in Auno on February 5. He said troops of Sector 1 successfully repelled the attack using superior firepower.
He explained that in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), troops launched a follow-up offensive on February 9 along the Komala axis in Konduga Local Government Area.
During the pursuit, soldiers tracked the fleeing insurgents to the Gidan Kaji axis, where 16 terrorists were neutralised, while others reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries.
Recovered items from the operation included more than 20 bicycles, assorted weapons, and a significant stockpile of logistics supplies believed to be essential to the terrorists’ activities.
In a related operation, troops apprehended suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers transporting large quantities of drugs allegedly meant for the insurgents near the Bukarti axis.
Additionally, security forces thwarted a kidnapping attempt along the Buratai–Kamuya road after responding swiftly to suspicious movements in the area.
Two victims, identified as Mallam Idris Adamu and Mallam Muhammadu Safiyanu, were rescued and safely reunited with their families in Buratai, the statement added.
