Troops Repel Midnight Terrorist Attack In Yobe, Kill 24, Recover Weapons Cache

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled a coordinated terrorist attack on Kukareta, Yobe State, in the early hours of Thursday, killing at least 24 insurgents and recovering a large cache of weapons.

According to a statement posted on the Nigerian Army’s verified Facebook page on Thursday morning, the attack began shortly after midnight on Thursday, April 23, 2026, and lasted until about 3:00 a.m., but was met with what the military described as a “swift and coordinated response” by troops under Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force (North-East).

The statement, signed by the Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, said the troops “successfully repelled a determined terrorist attack on KUKARETA location,” executing “a deliberate offensive-defensive action” that forced the assailants into “a disorderly withdrawal.”

During the engagement, the troops reportedly inflicted “heavy casualties on the attackers,” with “24 terrorists neutralised so far,” while follow-up operations continue across the battlefield.

Military authorities also confirmed the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition. Items recovered included “18 AK-47 rifles, 3 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), 2 PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, 3 RPG tubes, 2 mortar tubes, 4 hand grenades, 18 AK-47 magazines, and large quantities of belted 7.62mm ammunition for PKT systems.”

The spokesman noted that despite the successful operation, two soldiers were wounded in action but have since been stabilised. He added that one reinforcing armoured tank was damaged during the clash, with “all tyres blown out.”

The Army noted that exploitation operations were ongoing to track fleeing insurgents and recover more equipment. The terrorists’ withdrawal routes, according to the statement, are “littered with blood trails and medical consumables,” suggesting further casualties.

Describing the outcome as a major operational success, the military said the encounter “highlights the resilience, combat readiness and fire superiority of OPHK troops in denying terrorists freedom of action.”

It added that operations would continue with “sustained offensive pressure to consolidate gains and decisively defeat all terrorist elements” across the North East theatre.