Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have successfully foiled an early-morning attempt by terrorists to infiltrate the Bitta area of Borno State from the Mandara Mountains.
The troops killed several insurgents and dealt a significant blow to their operational capability.
According to a post by the Media Information Officer Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel, Sani Uba, on the Nigerian Army X handle, the incident occurred at about 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, when troops, supported by advanced surveillance systems, detected the movement of terrorists advancing toward the area.
Acting with tactical restraint, the troops allowed the insurgents to move into an effective engagement range before launching coordinated defensive fire.
Uba wrote “During the ensuing firefight, several terrorists were neutralised, including a senior terrorist fighter and his cameraman.
“As the remaining elements attempted to retreat, the Air Component of OPHK carried out precision strikes, further decimating the fleeing insurgents and disrupting their withdrawal routes.
“Following the engagement, ground troops conducted a thorough exploitation of the area and recovered a cache of terrorist weapons and logistics. Items recovered included a camcorder, AK-47 rifles, bandoliers, handheld radios, 11 AK-47 magazines loaded with ammunition, seven mobile phones, PKT machine guns, belts of PKT and GPMG linked ammunition, as well as motorcycles and bicycles.”
The post added that further searches revealed multiple blood trails and shallow graves, suggesting additional casualties inflicted on the terrorists during the ground engagement and subsequent air strikes.
“Troops’ morale remains high as OPHK continues sustained operations to deny terrorists freedom of action and protect communities within the area of responsibility.
“The operation underscores the military’s resolve to decisively defeat terrorist elements and restore lasting peace and stability across Nigeria’s North East region,” Uba added.
