Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) of the Nigerian Army, working alongside the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), have reportedly killed no fewer than 61 ISWAP terrorists during a failed infiltration attempt in Malam Fatori, Abadam LGA of Borno State.
Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, citing sources involved in the operation, said the terrorists launched the attack in the early hours of Wednesday.
According to the report, the insurgents advanced on foot and deployed armed drones in a bid to breach the defences of troops at the 68 Battalion location.
Sources told the publication that the attack, “which came through the frontage of Bravo Company from the Duguri general area, was met with overwhelming firepower and superior coordination between ground forces and air components”.
Makama said troops, backed by precision air strikes, engaged the insurgents in a fierce battle that resulted in heavy casualties on the side of the terrorists.
“According to him, the integration of air and ground manoeuvre ensured that the terrorists were fixed, targeted and neutralised in large numbers,” the publication reported.
Makama further stated that “four highly effective air interdiction strikes on identified enemy concentrations, decimating their fighting capability. The synergy between air and land forces denied the terrorists freedom of movement and forced a disorderly withdrawal towards the Arege general area after suffering heavy casualties”.
The sources added that support from allied Nigerien air assets intensified pressure on the fleeing insurgents, although battle damage assessment from those strikes is still ongoing.
“The allied forces from neighbouring Niger Republic also conducted rapid strike passes in support of the operation, thereby compounding the pressure on the fleeing insurgents,” the report added.
“On own casualties, the officer confirmed that four soldiers sustained minor injuries during the engagement and have since been stabilised.”
On Monday night, 23 persons were killed and 108 injured following suicide bomb attacks on three major locations in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
On Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu ordered security chiefs to relocate to Maiduguri.