Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled a coordinated attack by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province on a military base in Borno State, killing no fewer than 38 insurgents during the encounter.
The Nigerian Army said the terrorists launched a multi-front assault on a Forward Operating Base in Mandaragirau in the early hours of Saturday but were overpowered by troops in a fierce counter-offensive.
In a statement, the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, disclosed that the troops responded with a coordinated offensive-defensive strategy, forcing the insurgents to retreat in disarray.
He said the Air Component of the operation provided close air support alongside Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, which enhanced precision targeting and contributed significantly to the success of the operation.
Uba added that troops pursued the fleeing insurgents along their withdrawal routes, inflicting further casualties.
According to him, 38 terrorists were neutralised, while eight bodies were recovered at the scene of the clash.
He noted that intelligence from local sources indicated that more than 30 additional bodies and abandoned weapons were sighted along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis leading into the Timbuktu Triangle.
“This was evidenced by blood trails and scattered equipment along the withdrawal routes,” he said.
The army spokesman further revealed that troops recovered seven AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, four rocket-propelled grenade bombs, and assorted ammunition during the operation.
He, however, stated that no fatalities were recorded among the troops, although a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle was hit by RPG fire, leaving some personnel injured but stabilised.
Uba said the successful operation had boosted the morale of residents in surrounding communities and reaffirmed the military’s dominance in the area.
He added that clearance operations were ongoing to recover more weapons and consolidate the gains recorded.
The military high command, he said, had commended the troops for their gallantry and urged them to sustain the momentum in ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
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