Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have foiled a major attack by Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on their Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Kangar, Mallam Fatori area of Borno State, killing six insurgents and recovering arms, ammunition, and armed drones.
The Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force (North-East) Operation Hadin Kai, Lt.-Col. Uba Sanni, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday.
He said the attack, launched around 4:30 a.m., was repelled after a fierce gun battle that lasted several hours.
According to him, the terrorists employed armed drones and mortar fire in an attempt to overrun the base, but troops, reinforced by additional forces from Sector 3, stood their ground and fought back gallantly.
“Despite the heavy drone and indirect fire, the troops held their ground and engaged the attackers decisively,” Sanni said. “They were supported by close air support from Nigerien Fighter Ground Attack platforms, which helped overwhelm the insurgents.”
He said the terrorists later retreated in disarray into the Tumbun waterways, carrying away several of their dead and wounded.
Recovered items included five AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, 258 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, five RPG bombs, four armed drone bombs, five hand grenades, two bandoliers, and an Android phone.
Sanni added that a follow-up airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force, in collaboration with its Nigerien counterpart, neutralised additional fleeing terrorists.
He confirmed that a few soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) sustained minor injuries during the encounter but had been evacuated for medical attention and were in stable condition.
The operation, he said, demonstrated the troops’ “exceptional gallantry and tactical superiority” in maintaining dominance over insurgent activities in the region.