Troops Kill 38 ISWAP Fighters in Borno, Recover Weapons

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI, have repelled an attack by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on Forward Operating Base Mandaragirau in Borno State, killing 38 insurgents and recovering a cache of weapons.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer for the task force, said the troops responded with well-coordinated ambushes and an offensive-defensive strategy that forced the attackers into a disorganised retreat. The Air Component provided close air support and intelligence surveillance reconnaissance to enhance targeted responses.

According to the statement, subsequent operations along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted further heavy casualties.

“A total of about 38 terrorists were neutralized with 8 bodies recovered so far within the immediate engagement area and human intelligence from locals confirming over 30 additional terrorists’ bodies and weapons strewn along Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle. This was evidenced by blood trails and abandoned equipment,” the statement read.

Items recovered from the terrorists included seven AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, four rocket-propelled grenade bombs, and assorted ammunition. The military reported no fatalities on its side, though one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle was hit by RPG fire. Injured personnel were promptly stabilised.

The statement noted that the scale of enemy losses had triggered widespread jubilation among local communities and underscored the dominance of troops in denying terrorists freedom of action.

Further exploitation operations are ongoing along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis to recover more bodies and consolidate gains.