Troops of the Nigerian Army have thwarted a Boko Haram attempt to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on a strategic bridge along the Dikwa–Marte road in Borno State.
The foiled attack, which occurred during a counterinsurgency patrol, led to a heavy gunfight between troops and the terrorists.
At the end of the confrontation, two powerful IEDs were recovered, along with cache of arms including AK-47 rifles and PKT machine guns.
According to the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, Major General Abdulsallam Abubakar, the incident is part of intensified counteroffensive efforts by the Northeast Joint Task Force aimed at eliminating terrorist threats in the region.
“In the last one week alone, we have carried out successful clearance operations in key terrorist hideouts across the Lake Chad axis, Sambisa Forest, and the Mandara Mountains,” Abubakar said in an interview with Channels Television.
He disclosed that joint operations by the Army, Navy, and Air Force had resulted in the killing of nine Boko Haram fighters across Bama, Gwoza, and Konduga Local Government Areas.
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The Air Force provided coordinated airstrikes while ground troops advanced into hostile territories, with naval forces securing waterways along the Lake Chad basin.
The operation marks a continued effort to stabilize border communities long plagued by insurgent activities.
Major General Abubakar noted that the sustained military pressure has begun to yield results, significantly reducing terrorist movement and threats in remote areas of Borno State.
Operation Hadin Kai remains the military’s flagship effort in the northeast, where insurgency has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions since 2009.