Soldiers foil terror attack in Borno, kill 10 terrorists, recover weapons

The Nigerian Army says the troops of a joint task force, Operation Hadin (OPHK) Kai, have thwarted an attack in Gamboru Ngala, killing 10 insurgents and recovering weapons.

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The spokesperson of the counter-insurgency joint task force, Sani Uba, a colonel, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. Mr Uba noted that the battle took place in the Gamboru-Dikwa-Marte axis,

The latest victory followed a similar gunfight where troops killed more than 50 terrorists at Katarko, Yobe State, he said.

Mr Uba said the terrorists infiltrated the town from the Flatari area and fled towards Dikwa “after suffering casualties.”

“At approximately 23:50 hours on 25 October 2025, while manning a pre-established ambush position, the troops identified and engaged the hostile elements,” Mr Uba said. “The unit delivered heavy and accurate suppressive fire, forcing the insurgents to retreat in disarray.”

He added: “At first light, following a period of limited visibility, the area was systematically exploited. The subsequent clearance operation confirmed a total of 10 insurgents had been neutralised. A thorough search of the vicinity led to the recovery of a significant cache of arms, ammunition, and equipment.”

Weapons recovered in the operation include five AK-47 rifles, a PKT machine gun, three locally-made guns and two fabricated pistols.

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The troops, according to Mr Uba, also recovered five AK-47 magazines loaded with 7.62mm special rounds, a huge cache of 7.62 x 54mm linked ammunition and boxes of cartridges.

Two motorcycles, bicycles, and a radio were among the equipment recovered in the operation.

Other items recovered include a dane gun barrel, water flask, raincoat, blanket and charms.

“The Military High Command commended the troops for their gallantry, vigilance and tactical proficiency during the operation,” Mr Uba said, noting the successful operation “underscores the effectiveness of ongoing counter-insurgency efforts.”

It added that the battle reaffirmed the commitment of OPHK to sustaining offensive actions, protecting civilians, and restoring lasting peace and stability in the North-east region.

Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have recently made a strong comeback, targeting military positions and civilians.

In the battle that the military said it killed 50 terrorists, ISWAP also claimed 10 soldiers were killed. It also showed looted items in a propaganda video released a few hours after the attack.

The military also revealed that ISWAP used sophisticated weapons, including armed drones, a situation Governor Babagana Zulum said exposed the vulnerability in Nigeria’s airspace security.