Troops Repel ISWAP Attack on Borno Military Base, Neutralise Scores of Terrorists

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have successfully repelled a night attack by suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Mairari, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, killing several insurgents and recovering arms and ammunition.

The attack, which occurred at about 11:25 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1, was met with fierce resistance from troops of CIB XIX stationed at the base, forcing the terrorists to retreat after suffering heavy casualties.

Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed in a statement that troops displayed exceptional gallantry during the encounter, maintaining control of the base despite the coordinated assault.

According to the statement, troops recovered several weapons and equipment from the fleeing insurgents, including AK-47 rifles, loaded magazines and Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tubes. Surveillance footage also confirmed that the terrorists evacuated a number of their dead and wounded from the battlefield.

The military said the attack appeared to be a deliberate attempt to intimidate residents of Mairari, a community recently resettled with more than 950 returning households, and derail ongoing resettlement efforts in the area.

It, however, noted that the terrorists failed in their objective, as no civilian casualties were recorded during the attack.

Despite the operational success, the military disclosed that two soldiers and one member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were killed during the exchange of fire. Some military equipment was also damaged by rocket-propelled grenade fire.

The Theatre Command expressed condolences to the families of the fallen personnel, describing them as gallant heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defence of the nation.

In a related operation, a reinforcement team deployed from Monguno detected and safely detonated two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted along the route by the insurgents before engaging the fleeing terrorists, inflicting additional casualties on them.

The military said the successful operation highlights the operational readiness and resilience of troops of Operation HADIN KAI, stressing that the terrorists were unable to overrun the base or achieve any of their objectives.

The Theatre Command commended the courage and fighting spirit of the troops, reaffirming its commitment to sustaining offensive operations aimed at defeating terrorism and restoring lasting peace, security and stability across Nigeria's North-East region.