Troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade, Sector 4, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), yesterday foiled a coordinated assault by Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram fighters on communities in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, triggered heightened tension across the area as residents placed distress calls to security contacts.
Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South), who represents the district, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, saying he was notified by one of his coordinators.
“Boko Haram/ISWAP invaded some communities in Chibok, but they were repelled by troops.
Unfortunately, two people were killed, and a local church was razed in Kwada village,” Ndume stated.
Multiple security sources said scores of the fleeing militants were neutralised by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) following a swift air interdiction requested by ground forces.
According to a credible source, the terrorists moved in large numbers and launched a multi-directional attack around 3:00 a.m., in an attempt to overrun defensive positions.
The troops were said to have responded with sustained, superior firepower, engaging the insurgents in a fierce two-hour battle that forced them to retreat toward the Timbuktu Triangle.
“The troops were alert and professionally contained the attack.
“There was no casualty on our side, and no equipment was affected,” the source said.
Following the withdrawal, ground troops requested immediate air support, prompting NAF to deploy combat aircraft to strike the insurgents’ escape route.
“The NAF jet delivered precise and devastating strikes along the terrorists’ escape route, obliterating a significant number of the fighters and disrupting their movement,” the source added.
Security sources said NAF carried out four major airstrikes based on real-time intelligence provided by troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade.
The first strike targeted a regrouping cluster of fighters, while subsequent ones hit additional pockets dispersing into the surrounding forest.
They added that an unmanned aerial platform also maintained persistent surveillance and delivered further precision strikes on the fleeing militants.
“The platform maintained continuous ISR coverage and engaged with high precision.
Its strikes further eliminated retreating fighters and disrupted their movement pattern,” the sources noted.
They stressed that the seamless air–ground operation inflicted “substantial losses” on the attackers and prevented any attempt at regrouping after the failed offensive.
Senator Ndume commiserated with the families of those killed and the affected communities, urging the military to sustain pressure on the terrorists until peace is fully restored across Southern Borno.
“It is unfortunate that I received a distress call this morning that Boko Haram/ISWAP invaded some communities in Chibok. Although they were repelled by troops, two people were killed, and a local church was razed in Kwada village,” Ndume reiterated.