Carnage ensues as militants unleash wave of assaults on villages in Borno, Yobe

Scores of Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists have been killed in coordinated attacks on Kukawa town, Dalwa village, and Goniri communities, with the Kukawa attack targeting a Military Base on Sunday night.

n

The attack on Kukawa town, located on the fringes of Lake Chad in Borno, was repelled by troops of Joint Task Force North East ‘Operation HADIN KAI’ with support from the Air Component, resulting in the deaths of many terrorists and a few security agencies paying the supreme price.

n

Zagazola Makama, a security expert, reported that a heavy gun battle between troops and suspected ISWAP fighters in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State resulted in casualties on both sides, with items recovered from the insurgents including bandoliers of PKT rounds, one AK-47 rifle, and one BHT machine gun.

n

The clash occurred when insurgents attacked a military camp, prompting troops to engage in a prolonged firefight, with blood stains and drags outside the camp suggesting insurgent casualties during the encounter.

n

Troops also intercepted an injured terrorist fighter in the community who was being brought to the camp, and the suspect attempted to escape, prompting additional gunfire, according to sources.

n

The situation remains under control, with troops continuing to secure the area and conduct follow-up operations to track remaining insurgents, as stated by Zagazola Makama.

n

In the Dalwa village invasion, 75% of the housing estates built and allocated to returnee residents after displacement for over 10 years were set ablaze, with scores of casualties on innocent civilians, according to a source.

n

The attackers invaded the community at about 1 am and wrecked havoc, with the source revealing the extent of the destruction and casualties.

n

Troops of Operation Desert Sanity under the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), repelled a terrorist attack on their position in Borno, killing at least two insurgents and recovering weapons and communication equipment.

n

The attack occurred at about 2:20 am on Sunday when terrorists attempted to attack Special forces troops on clearance operations in Sambisa forest, but the troops engaged the attackers in a fierce firefight and successfully repelled the assault without recording any casualty.

n

Items recovered from the terrorists include one PKT machine gun, three rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) bombs, and 108 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm ammunition, as well as two Baofeng communication radios and one Redmi Android mobile phone.

n

Troops also recovered three Airtel SIM cards believed to belong to the insurgents, with the source stating that the troops maintain high morale and operational effectiveness as clearance operations continue under Operation Desert Sanity V.

n

The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai neutralised several terrorists during a coordinated air response to an attack on troops of the 120 Battalion under Sector 2 in Goniri, Yobe State, with the incident occurring at about 0015 hours on Monday.

n

Insurgents attempted to overrun the military location, infiltrating the Goniri position and engaging troops in a fierce battle after breaching the defensive perimeter, but the Air Component scrambled fighter aircraft to provide close air support.

n

The aircraft conducted precision strikes on identified terrorist positions, releasing two bombs with devastating accuracy and resulting in the elimination of at least 10 terrorists who were trying to flee on sighting the fighting aircraft.

n

The prompt response of the Air Component significantly disrupted the terrorists’ attack and restored tactical advantage to the troops on the ground, according to the source.

n

Suspected fighters of the Islamic State in the Sahel (IS-Sahel) launched an attack on Tahoua Airport in western Niger Republic early Monday, targeting a military air base hosting the Nigerien Air Force’s Bayraktar TB2 drone fleet.

n

Zagazola Makama collaborated, stating that the insurgents struck the facility in the early hours of Monday at about 1:30 am, triggering exchanges of gunfire around the air base located in Tahoua region.

n

The air base is considered a strategic installation for Niger’s counterterrorism operations, as it hosts the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for surveillance and precision strikes against insurgent groups across the Sahel, according to Makama.

n

There is no official statement on any of the incidents by Security Operatives at press time.