Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have successfully repelled an attempted attack by suspected ISWAP terrorists on the 120 Task Force Battalion in Gonori, Borno State, killing scores of insurgents during a coordinated air and ground counteroffensive.
The attack occurred on Saturday night and continued into the early hours of Sunday.
The terrorists reportedly advanced toward the military formation from the Mandunari axis at about midnight but were detected early by troops positioned in ambush.
This was contained in a statement by the Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI, Lt. Sani Uba, on Sunday.
It was gathered that troops immediately launched a “spoiling attack” that forced the insurgents into a heavily defended killing zone, preventing any breach of the battalion’s position.
“No part of the camp was breached and no equipment was lost,” the statement said.
The statement added that air assets from the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI and the Nigerian Army Aviation were deployed in support of ground troops, carrying out what officials described as a “well-synchronised air-land assault” on fleeing insurgents.
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Following the operation, troops conducting exploitation and clearance patrols reportedly discovered extensive blood trails, body parts, and multiple terrorist corpses in the surrounding area, indicating heavy casualties among the attackers.
Security forces also recovered several weapons and ammunition from the scene, including one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), two PKT machine guns, five AK-47 rifles, and belts of assorted ammunition, alongside other personal items belonging to the insurgents.
It was confirmed that some soldiers sustained injuries during the encounter but said the wounded personnel were stable and receiving medical treatment.
The military noted that follow-up operations remain ongoing in the area to track fleeing terrorists and consolidate operational gains.
The military described the failed attack as further evidence of the operational effectiveness of Operation HADIN KAI and the preparedness of troops deployed across the North-East theatre.
