Troops foil ISWAP, Boko Haram attack in North East

The Nigerian Army said troops of Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, OPHK, under Operation Desert Sanity and Operation Siege, have thwarted attempted attack by suspected ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists on soldiers in the Kirawa axis of Sector 1 OPHK area of responsibility in the early hours of 22 May 2026.

A statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer

Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, said a number of suspected terrorists attempted to infiltrate positions held by troops of 153 Task Force Battalion and associated forces along the Nigeria–Cameroon border axis.

“The attack was swiftly detected and met with overwhelming firepower from alert troops and CJTF, who held their ground and contained the assault,” the statement said.

It said the terrorists were forced to abort their mission and withdraw in confusion towards the Cameroon axis, sustaining heavy casualties during the engagement.

According to the statement, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, alongside platforms of Air Component  of OPHK and partner forces, provided coordinated support throughout the operation.

Following the encounter, troops confirmed the neutralisation of 12 terrorists, while several others were observed retreating with gunshot wounds, as indicated by blood trails along their withdrawal routes.

“Recovered items include AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade  systems, ammunition, and a PKT machine gun, further degrading the terrorists’ combat capability in the area,” it added.

“Troops of OPHK, in conjunction with the Civilian Joint Task Force, have maintained their positions with heightened vigilance while exploitation operations continue to track fleeing elements and recover additional materiel.”

The Joint Task Force reassured the public of its unwavering commitment to sustaining operational pressure on terrorist elements until they are completely neutralised across the theatre.  

The Military High Command commended the troops for their gallantry, utmost professionalism, and swift response, the third in the week urging them to maintain the operational momentum in the collective interest of national security.