Troops of the Nigerian military have thwarted an attempted infiltration into Monguno town and Bitta community in the Lake Chad region by Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents, eliminating numerous fighters, including a top commander, during midnight operations.
The high-ranking commander, Ibn Khalid, and the group’s cameraman were among those killed during a fierce exchange of gunfire in Bitta community, where Nigerian Army personnel repelled the terrorists around 2:30 a.m.
According to Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, Theater Commander of the Northeast Joint Taskforce, Operation Hadin Kai, seventeen more insurgents were neutralized in separate engagements across Sambisa, Madagali LGA (Adamawa), and Kaga (Borno State).
An unknown number of attackers reportedly fled with various degrees of injuries.
Maj. Gen. Abdulsalam said blood trails were noticed along the withdrawal paths as troops pursued the fleeing terrorists.
Recovered items included 2 AK-47 magazines, 7.26mm special ammunition, a PKT belt, a Rocket Propelled Grenade bomb, and a camcorder.
Monguno, which serves as the headquarters of Northern Borno and the base for Sector 3 of Operation Hadin Kai and the Multinational Joint Task Force, remains under the control of civil authorities. However, many communities in the Lake Chad region remain abandoned, pending reconstruction and restoration efforts.