Between the late hours of February 28 and the early hours of March 1, 2026, troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) decisively foiled multiple coordinated attacks by ISWAP terrorists, the Nigerian Army disclosed.
The insurgents targeted Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Mayanti, Gajigana, and Gajiram, but were met with a superior response that left several terrorists dead and a massive cache of heavy weaponry in military hands.
The wave of violence began at FOB Mayanti, where a large number of terrorists launched a heavy assault against the military position.
Despite facing intense enemy fire, the gallant troops held their ground while reinforcements fought through ambushes and improvised explosive device (IED) threats to rout the attackers.
Following the engagement, exploitation of the area confirmed five terrorist corpses and the recovery of three PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, two RPG-7 tubes, and several AK-47 and FN rifles. While the military successfully defended the base, the encounter took a sombre turn as one officer paid the supreme price in the line of duty.
The aggression continued into the early hours of Sunday at FOB Gajiram, where terrorists armed with PKT guns, RPGs, and even armed drones attempted to breach the base.
Supported by air assets, the determined troops repelled the assault, forcing the insurgents into a disorderly retreat.
In their haste to escape, the terrorists abandoned three bodies along the withdrawal route, alongside an armed drone, five anti-tank bombs, three locally fabricated mortar bombs, and specialised equipment, including barbed wire cutters and poisoned arrows. One wounded soldier was promptly airlifted by a Nigerian Army Aviation helicopter for advanced medical care.
“The failed assaults underscore the growing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained pressure on their enclaves, logistics corridors, and leadership structures,” stated Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the Media Information Officer for Operation HADIN KAI.
He noted that while the attack on Gajigana was also successfully thwarted with troops maintaining full control, the military simultaneously intensified offensive operations across Sector 2 to further degrade the enemy’s capacity.
During these related offensive actions, troops engaged terrorists at Kayawa Village, forcing them to flee and abandon a tricycle, motorcycles, and bicycles. In a significant blow to the insurgents’ medical support, the military destroyed identified life-support structures and arrested two confessed ISWAP logistics suppliers who had drugs and medical consumables intended for treating wounded terrorists.
Further success was recorded during an ambush around Bulturam Corner and Dadingel in Gujba LGA, where troops neutralised two additional terrorists and recovered more AK-47 rifles and magazines.
Lieutenant Colonel Uba confirmed that all locations remain firmly under military control, emphasising that the scale of recoveries and confirmed enemy losses serves as a testament to the degrading combat capacity of ISWAP elements in the region.
