Troops of Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have repelled a midnight attack by ISWAP terrorists on the 120 Task Force Battalion in Gonori, Borno State, killing scores of insurgents in a coordinated air-land offensive.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, made this known on a statement on Sunday.
According to him, the terrorists, who advanced from the Mandunari axis late Saturday night into the early hours of Sunday, were detected by an ambush team before reaching the camp. Troops swiftly launched a spoiling attack, trapping the insurgents in a deadly killing zone and preventing any breach of the facility.
Air platforms from the OPHK Air Component and the Nigerian Army Aviation later joined the operation, carrying out precision strikes on fleeing terrorists and inflicting heavy casualties. Military authorities said no equipment was lost during the encounter.
Troops recovered one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), two PKT machine guns, five AK-47 rifles, belts of assorted ammunition and other items from the scene. Several terrorist bodies, body parts and blood trails were also discovered during exploitation of the area, indicating significant enemy losses.
The military added that wounded soldiers are in stable condition and receiving treatment, while clearance and pursuit operations are ongoing to track escaping insurgents.
Uba said the failed assault highlights the continued operational superiority of troops in the North East theatre.
