Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) successfully crushed a coordinated, multi-axis assault by ISWAP terrorists on the Headquarters of the 27 Brigade in Buni Gari and a nearby checkpoint early Thursday morning.
The engagement, which began around 2:00 AM on May 8, 2026, saw a large number of insurgents attempting to encircle the military base under the cover of darkness. Despite the intensity of the push from the western, southern, and south-western flanks, the Nigerian Army reported that the integrity of the camp remained completely intact.
“Troops held their ground with exceptional discipline and tactical composure,” a military spokesperson stated following the engagement. “The terrorists were met with such devastating resistance that they retreated in confusion, evacuating some of their killed and wounded as evidenced by trails of blood along their escape routes.”
The battle resulted in the neutralisation of at least 50 terrorists. Initial exploitation of the area led to the recovery of 10 bodies, while human intelligence later confirmed that more than 20 additional insurgents died in the bushes near Gashua, Azare, and Kamuya.
The Air Component Command played a pivotal role in the victory, providing real-time intelligence and conducting precision air interdiction strikes. “The air-land synchronisation accounted for an additional 20 terrorists neutralised as aircraft pursued retreating insurgents along their escape corridors,” the Army noted.
The military also recovered a significant cache of weaponry, including eight AK-47 rifles, two General-Purpose Machine Guns, and several Rocket-Propelled Grenade tubes and bombs. The recovery of three Improvised Explosive Device (IED) canisters further highlighted the scale of the planned offensive.
Reflecting on the outcome, the Nigerian Army described the engagement as a demonstration of “overwhelming combat superiority,” adding that “the volume and variety of weapons and ordnance recovered further expose the scale of the terrorists’ offensive intent and the totality of their failure.”
While some equipment, including Gun-Trucks and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, sustained minimal damage, the Army confirmed that all wounded personnel are currently stable and receiving medical care. Aggressive exploitation operations continue across the region to ensure fleeing remnants of the group are unable to regroup.
