Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled a coordinated ISWAP attack on a Forward Operating Base in Mandaragirau, in the Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, inflicting heavy casualties on the insurgents.
The Joint Task Force (North East), in a statement issued Saturday, by its Media Information Officer, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said its troops repelled the early morning assault on March 28, 2026, with a combination of well-coordinated ambushes and a deliberate offensive-defensive response, supported by close air support and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) from the Air Component.
Mandaragirau, a small but strategically important rural settlement in Borno State, is located within Nigeria’s conflict-affected North East region and sits in the northern part of the state within the broader Lake Chad Basin area. The terrain is largely flat, semi-arid, and dotted with sparse vegetation—conditions that unfortunately make movement easier for armed groups and harder to monitor consistently.
Though not widely known outside military or regional reporting, Mandaragirau has become relevant due to its proximity to key insurgency corridors. It lies near routes often used by factions like ISWAP moving between remote enclaves, including areas around the “Timbuktu Triangle”—a known hideout zone in northern Borno. Because of this, the Nigerian military maintains a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in or around Mandaragirau, critical for rapid response to attacks, intelligence gathering and disrupting insurgent movement.
Uba said that during the engagement and subsequent pursuit along withdrawal routes, about 38 terrorists were neutralised. While eight bodies were recovered within the immediate area, human intelligence sources confirmed that over 30 additional bodies and weapons were scattered along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle, as indicated by blood trails and abandoned equipment.
Troops also recovered seven AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, four RPG bombs, and assorted ammunition. No fatalities were recorded among the troops, although one MRAP was struck by RPG fire, leaving some personnel injured and subsequently stabilised.
The operation has reportedly sparked jubilation among local communities and underscores the continued operational dominance of troops in restricting terrorist movement and activities in the area.
Further exploitation operations are ongoing along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis to recover additional bodies and consolidate gains.
