Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), OPERATION HADIN KAI, have intensified offensive operations against terrorist elements under Operation Desert Sanity V, recording major successes in coordinated ground and air assaults across parts of Borno State.
OPHK’s Media Information Officer, Lt Col Sani Uba, disclosed this on Wednesday, saying that the operations, carried out by troops of Sector 2 in collaboration with the Air Component Command, targeted terrorist strongholds along the Timbuktu axis near Azir Bridge and deep within the Bulabulin Forest area, resulting in heavy losses for insurgent groups.
In the Bulabulin Forest axis, troops working alongside the Sector 2 Stabilisation Force Brigade and the Civilian Joint Task Force cleared multiple terrorist enclaves in Mar, Subdu, Yaro Lawanti, and Yaro Shuwari, as well as surrounding areas. During the advance, troops engaged insurgents at Malam Shiri Village in a coordinated flanking manoeuvre supported by air strikes, neutralising at least 11 terrorists while others fled with injuries.
Military sources said troops destroyed key terrorist life-support structures and recovered a cache of weapons, including nine AK-47 rifles, three PKT machine guns, five motorcycles, assorted ammunition, and materials for improvised explosive devices (IEDs), significantly degrading the group’s operational capacity in the area.
A similar engagement along the Wajiroko–Sabongari corridor in the Timbuktu axis saw troops hold their ground against sustained attacks, killing at least seven terrorists. Further exploitation of the battlefield revealed additional casualties, indicated by blood trails and dismembered body parts, suggesting higher insurgent losses. Recovered items included AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade tubes, ammunition, bandoliers, and communication equipment.
The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai played a decisive role, providing real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance that enabled precise targeting. Fighter aircraft conducted interdiction strikes on confirmed terrorist positions and fleeing fighters, amplifying the impact of the ground offensive.
Troops, supported by local volunteer forces, are currently conducting follow-up operations along the Forfor, Multe, and Wajiroko axes to track down fleeing insurgents and prevent regrouping, as the military consolidates its gains in the theatre.
Military authorities say the latest offensives underscore the growing effectiveness of Operation Hadin Kai and its sustained dominance in ongoing counterterrorism efforts in the North East.
