Troops repel midnight terror attack in Yobe, kill 24, recover weapons

The Nigerian Army says the troops of Operation Hadin Kai, a joint task force in the North-east, have foiled a coordinated terror attack on Kukareta in Yobe State, killing at least 24 insurgents and recovering a large cache of arms and ammunition.

The attack, which began shortly after midnight on Thursday, lasted for about three hours before it was repelled by troops under Sector 2 of the joint task force.

According to a statement issued by Sani Uba, the spokesperson for the task force, the troops responded swiftly with a well-coordinated strategy that contained the assault and forced the attackers into a chaotic retreat.

“During the engagement, troops inflicted heavy casualties on the attackers, with 24 terrorists neutralised so far,” Mr Uba, a lieutenant colonel, stated.

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Following the clash, troops recovered a significant quantity of weapons, including 18 AK-47 rifles, three General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), two PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, three Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, two mortar tubes, and four hand grenades. Other items recovered include 18 AK-47 magazines and large quantities of belted 7.62mm ammunition.

Mr Uba said two personnel were wounded in action but have since been stabilised. An armoured tank deployed as reinforcement also sustained damage during the encounter, with all its tyres blown out.

He added that troops have continued operations along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes, where blood trails and abandoned medical supplies suggest further casualties among the fleeing fighters.

Mr Uba described the operation as a testament to the resilience, combat readiness, and firepower of its troops, noting that sustained offensives would continue to deny terrorists freedom of movement and ultimately eliminate their presence across the North-east theatre.

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The Boko Haram insurgency has entered its 17th year, with the military intensifying its counterterrorism operations, dispersing the terrorists and disrupting their logistics supply chain. However, the terrorists continue to show restraint by deploying more sophisticated arms including armed drones and doubling their attacks on military formations.