Troops Foil Terrorists Attack, Kill 6 In Borno

Troops of Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), on Tuesday, successfully foiled a coordinated terrorist attack on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kangar at Mallam Fatori in Borno State.

A statement by the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force, North East Operation Hadin Kai, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, said Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists launched the attack at about 4:30am using “armed drones and mortar fire targeting the defensive positions of the base”.

Lt.-Col. Uba noted that the troops, reinforced by the main force from the Battalion under Sector 3, displayed exceptional gallantry and tactical superiority to defeat the assault.

“Despite the initial use of drones and indirect fire, the troops held their ground, engaging the terrorists in a fierce firefight supported by close air support from the Nigerien Fighter Ground Attack platforms,” he said.

The statement said the terrorists, overwhelmed by the superior firepower retreated in disarray into the waterways of the Tumbuns, evacuating several of their casualties.

He, however, said a post-battle exploitation of the area confirmed the killing six terrorists.

Troops also recovered 5 AK-47 rifles, 8 AK-47 rifle magazines, 258 rounds of 7.62mm, 39 ammunition, 5 RPG bombs; 4 armed drone bombs, five 36-type hand grenades, 2 bandoliers and 1 Android phone.

Uba said a follow-on air interdiction by the Nigerian Air Force in conjunction with the Nigerien Air Force on the retreating terrorists further eliminated additional scores of the miscreants.

However, few personnel of the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai and some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) sustained minor injuries during the engagement.

He said the wounded have since been evacuated by Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) platforms for medical attention and in stable condition condition.

He said the MNJTF also provided Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) support to enhance situational awareness for the ground troops.

The added that further exploitation were ongoing in the waterways and adjoining areas to track fleeing terrorists and deny them freedom of movement.