Manny Ita –
Nigerian Army forces attached to Operation Hadin Kai neutralized five insurgents and rescued three abducted children during a series of intense weekend encounters across Borno State, military sources confirmed on Monday. The operations, which targeted known extremist strongholds, also resulted in the death of one soldier during a separate attempt by militants to breach a military outpost.
The primary engagement occurred during a clearance operation in the rugged terrain of the Mandara Mountains near Gwoza. Troops intercepted a group of fighters suspected to be remnants of Boko Haram, leading to a heavy exchange of fire. “Five terrorists were neutralized on the spot during the encounter, while several others fled into the mountains with gunshot wounds,” a spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters stated. During a subsequent sweep of the immediate area, troops discovered and rescued three children—two girls and one boy—who had been held in captivity for several months. The children have since been moved to a military medical facility in Maiduguri for evaluation.
In a separate but related incident on the outskirts of Mafa Local Government Area, ISWAP fighters launched a “hit-and-run” assault on a military sentry post. While the troops successfully repelled the incursion and forced the attackers to retreat into the Sambisa Forest, the engagement claimed the life of one soldier. “One of our gallant personnel paid the supreme price while defending the location, while two others sustained injuries and are currently in stable condition,” the report noted.
Recovered items from the Gwoza axis included three AK-47 rifles, a cache of 7.62mm special ammunition, handheld radio communication sets, and two motorcycles used by the insurgents for tactical mobility. Major General Waidi Shuaibu, the Theatre Commander, addressed the troops following the operations, noting that while the “remnants of the caliphate” are becoming increasingly desperate as supply lines are severed, intelligence suggests the insurgents are now operating in smaller, mobile cells to evade aerial surveillance.
