Troops of the Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have neutralized 38 ISWAP terrorists.
A statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, said the operation was carried out on Saturday morning.
The terrorists had attacked the FOB Mandaragirau in Sector 2, Borno State, before they were overpowered by the troops.
According to the statement, the troops engaged the terrorists with well-coordinated ambushes and a deliberate offensive-defensive response that forced the assailants into a disorderly withdrawal.
The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI was also said to have provided close air support to the troops to enhance targeted kinetic responses against the attackers.
“Subsequent exploitation along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted further heavy losses.
“A total of about 38 terrorists were neutralized with 8 bodies recovered so far within the immediate engagement area and human intelligence from locals confirming over 30 additional terrorists’ bodies and weapons strewn along Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle.
“This was evidenced by blood trails and abandoned equipment. Troops also recovered 7 AK-47 rifles, 8 magazines, 4 RPG bombs and assorted ammunition, while recording no fatalities; one MRAP was hit by RPG fire, with injured personnel promptly stabilized.
“The scale of enemy losses has triggered widespread jubilation among local communities and highlights the sustained dominance of OPHK troops in denying terrorists freedom of action,” the statement added.