Abuja: In one of the fiercest overnight clashes in recent months, troops of Operation HADIN KAI stormed Mallam Fatori, Borno State, killing more than 80 terrorists and forcing a retreat after hours of heavy fighting.
Four soldiers sustained injuries in the battle, which military officials say underscores the army’s resolve to dismantle insurgent strongholds in the northeast.
The engagement began when the troops, under the Joint Task Force (North East), repelled a coordinated five-pronged attack launched by insurgents on the 68 Battalion location in Sector 3 in the early hours of Wednesday.
The military, in its operational report to journalists on Wednesday, revealed that the attackers advanced in large numbers on foot and deployed armed drones.
The report continued that the terrorists attempted to breach defensive positions, particularly along the Bravo Company frontage from the Duguri axis.
According to the report, troops who had prior intelligence of the assault mounted a well-coordinated offensive-defensive response, engaging the insurgents with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres.
As a result, the attackers were overwhelmed, disrupted and forced to retreat in disarray, leaving behind heavy casualties.
Furthermore, air support from the Air Component of OPHK, alongside allied Nigerien air assets, provided precision strikes that further decimated the fleeing insurgents.
Following the retreat, a subsequent sweep of the battlefield led to the recovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition, including dozens of AK-47 rifles, machine guns, RPG launchers, improvised explosive devices and components of armed drones.
The report further revealed that, despite the intensity of the encounter, only four soldiers were wounded in action and have since been stabilised, while battle damage assessment was ongoing.
Notably, the report confirmed that three senior terrorist commanders—Malam Abdulrahman Gobara, Malam Ba Yuram and Abou Ayyuba—were among those killed, alongside several other fighters.
This outcome, the report described, is a major setback for insurgent operations in the axis, noting that the elimination of key commanders would significantly disrupt their command structure.
It reaffirmed that troops remain in firm control of Mallam Fatori and the surrounding areas, and dismissed claims of setbacks as misinformation.
It urged residents to remain vigilant and rely only on verified information as operations continue in the North-East.
