Nigerian military forces inflicted heavy casualties on ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists on Friday, killing at least 12 fighters and forcing survivors to flee across the Cameroon border after a predawn attack on troop positions in the Kirawa axis of Borno State was swiftly repelled.
The assault, which took place in the early hours of May 22, targeted a location held by troops of the 153 Task Force Battalion along the Nigeria–Cameroon border — the third terrorist attack beaten back by Operation HADIN KAI forces within the same week.
“The attack was swiftly detected and met with overwhelming firepower from alert troops and CJTF, who held their ground and contained the assault,” the Joint Task Force (North East) said in a statement signed by its Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba.
According to the military, the terrorists were forced to abandon their mission and “withdraw in confusion towards the Cameroon axis, sustaining heavy casualties during the engagement.” Blood trails along withdrawal routes indicated that several fleeing fighters had been wounded.
Troops subsequently recovered AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade systems, a PKT machine gun, and assorted ammunition from the scene — materiel the military said further “degraded the terrorists’ combat capability in the area.”
Air support and surveillance assets played a key role in containing the attack. “Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance assets, alongside platforms of Air Component of OPHK and partner forces, provided coordinated support throughout the operation,” the statement noted.
Exploitation operations are ongoing, with troops and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) continuing to track fleeing elements and recover additional weapons.
The Military High Command praised the soldiers’ response, describing it as an example of “gallantry, utmost professionalism, and swift response,” while urging them to “maintain the operational momentum in the collective interest of national security.”
The Joint Task Force said it remains committed to sustaining pressure on terrorist elements “until they are completely neutralised across the theatre.”
