Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled coordinated terrorist attacks by ISWAP fighters on multiple locations in Borno State, including Njimtilo, Baga, Buratai and Damboa, inflicting heavy casualties on the insurgents.
According to a statement by the Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the attacks occurred in the early hours of March 16, 2026, as the terrorists launched simultaneous offensives from several directions in an apparent bid to overrun military positions and gain propaganda advantage.
The statement said at Ajiri Cross, near Njimtilo, troops of Sector 1 detected and engaged the advancing insurgents, having anticipated the movement and adopted a deliberate offensive-defensive posture. The troops deployed coordinated firepower and tactical manoeuvres to disrupt the attackers and cut off their withdrawal routes, forcing them into a disorganised retreat with significant losses.
It revealed that similar attacks at Baga, Buratai and Damboa were repelled with strong resistance, as troops brought superior firepower to bear on the attackers. Explaining that the operations were bolstered by close air support from the Air Component and Nigerian Army Aviation, whose precision strikes disrupted the terrorists’ formations and compounded their losses during withdrawal.
Several terrorists were neutralised during the engagements, including a key commander who led the Buratai assault, while many others escaped with injuries. Despite sustaining some equipment damage and recording wounded personnel, troops-maintained control of all locations and continued follow-up operations against the fleeing insurgents.
Exploitation operations conducted around Baga and adjoining areas, including Korochara and Garin Giwa, led to the recovery of arms and equipment such as three PKT machine guns, seven AK-47 rifles, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, magazines and RPG bombs. Troops also destroyed three motorcycles used by the terrorists and recovered seven bodies, while additional corpses were reportedly buried by the fleeing insurgents.
The military said the failed attacks underscore the increasing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained pressure from ongoing operations, noting that recent setbacks have significantly degraded their operational capacity and disrupted their propaganda efforts.
Operation HADIN KAI reaffirmed that all affected locations remain under firm control, assuring the public of the military’s continued resolve to defeat insurgency in the North East while urging vigilance and caution against misinformation.
