Troops of Sector 2, North-East Joint Task Force, under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have neutralised 38 terrorists of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Garin Mallum-Garin Gajere axis of the Timbuktu triangle of the Sambisa Forest in Borno state.
According to the OPHK Media Information Officer, Lt-Col. Sani Uba, in a statement released yesterday in Maiduguri, stated: ‘Troops in the early hours of Saturday, 28th March, 2026 decisively defeated a half-hearted attack by ISWAP terrorists on the Mandaragirau Army base of Sector 2.
He added that the ground troops engaged the insurgents with a well-coordinated and deliberate offensive and defensive responses that forced them into a disorderly withdrawal, while the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support to the troops with Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) feedback to enhance targeted kinetic responses.
Uba further revealed that subsequent exploitation along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted additional heavy losses to the ISWAP terror group.
Consequently, he stated that a total of about 38 terrorists were neutralized with eight other bodies bodies recovered within the immediate engagement area of Mandaragirau..
Some of the locals from the community sited along the Damboa-Biu road confirmed to the troops that over 30 additional terrorists bodies and weapons strewn along Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis of the Timbuktu triangle of forest.
‘This was evidenced by blood trails and abandoned fighting weapons and equipment of the fleeing terrorists into the forest’, said Uba.
He further revealed that the troops also recovered weapons, including seven AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, four Rapid Propelled Grenades (RPGs) bombs and assorted ammunition, while recording no fatalities.
Uba noted that one MRAP was hit by a RPG fire, with the injured personnel promptly stabilised in the Frontline of operation.
Regarding the outcome the operation, the information officer stated: ‘The scale of enemy losses has triggered widespread jubilation among the local communities and underscores the sustained dominance of OPHK troops in denying terrorists the freedom of action in the state.
He explained that additional exploitation operations are ongoing in the Garin Mallum-Garin Gajere axis on the fringes on the fringes of Sambisa Forest to recover the littered terrorists corpses and consolidate troops’ gains.
The Military High Command in Abuja, commended the troops for their gallantry and resilience, urging them to sustain the operational tempo in protecting lives and property in the Northeast.
