Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have killed 12 terrorists and recovered several weapons after foiling an attempted attack on military positions along the Kirawa axis of Borno State.
The incident occurred on Friday when suspected terrorists attempted to infiltrate locations occupied by troops of the 153 Task Force Battalion and other supporting units along the Nigeria-Cameroon border corridor.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sani Uba.
According to Uba, the terrorists were detected early by alert troops, who immediately engaged them with superior firepower.
He said troops were supported by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, forcing the attackers to abandon their mission and retreat in disarray.
The statement added that intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, as well as the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, provided coordinated support during the operation.
Uba said the swift response of the troops prevented the terrorists from overrunning the military positions in the area.
The military said 12 terrorists were confirmed dead after the encounter, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds.
Uba said blood trails were observed along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes, indicating that more members of the group may have been injured during the exchange.
He said, “Following the encounter, troops confirmed the neutralisation of 12 terrorists, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds, with blood trails observed along their withdrawal routes.”
The military noted that follow-up operations had already commenced to track down the fleeing terrorists and recover more weapons that may have been abandoned during their escape.
Items recovered from the scene included AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade systems, a PKT machine gun and assorted ammunition.
Uba said the recovery of the weapons had further weakened the fighting capacity of the terrorists in the area.
He stated, “Recovered items include AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade systems, a PKT machine gun, and assorted ammunition, further degrading the terrorists’ combat capability in the area.”
The military added that troops had maintained their positions with heightened vigilance to prevent any further attempt by the terrorists to attack military formations or nearby communities.
Uba said the military high command commended the troops for their gallantry, swift response and professionalism during the encounter.
He said the troops were urged to sustain pressure on terrorist groups operating across the North-East theatre.
He added, “Troops have since maintained their positions with heightened vigilance, while follow-up exploitation operations continue to track fleeing elements and recover additional materiel.”
The Operation Hadin Kai spokesman reaffirmed the theatre command’s commitment to the complete neutralisation of terrorist elements and the restoration of peace and security across the North-East.
The Kirawa axis, located close to the Nigeria-Cameroon border, has remained one of the areas where troops continue to carry out operations against terrorist movements and cross-border criminal activities.