Troops Clash with Terrorists in Borno, Suffer Casualties in VBIED Attack

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai engaged in a fierce clash with terrorists in Borno State on Tuesday, resulting in casualties on both sides, military authorities have confirmed.

According to a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer for the joint task force, troops made contact with fleeing insurgents during clearance operations in the Timbuktu Triangle, including areas around Tergejeri and Ajigin. Several terrorists were neutralised in the exchange.

The operation, however, came at a cost. On January 20, troops were attacked by two Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) while consolidating their position. One device was neutralised, but the second breached defences, resulting in the death of some soldiers and Civilian Joint Task Force members. Injured personnel were evacuated by army aviation helicopters.

In a significant discovery, troops later found mass graves containing an estimated 20 bodies of terrorists, indicating heavy losses inflicted on the insurgents in recent operations.

The military stated that operations are ongoing and troop morale remains high, with a continued commitment to degrading terrorist networks in the North East.