Troops destroy ISWAP detention facilities in North-east, free over 70 captives

The Nigerian Army says the North-eastern troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), a joint task force, have destroyed three detention facilities of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) deep inside Timbuktu Triangle, a broader part of Sambisa forest straddling Borno and Yobe states.

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The Army said the operation also led to the escape of more than 70 captives.

The operations which lasted two weeks, according to a statement by the joint task force spokesperson, Sani Uba, marked a “significant advance into areas long considered beyond the reach of security forces.”

Mr Uba said the operations also underscored the growing effectiveness and sustainability of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-east.

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The two-week coordinated, intelligence-led operations, which began on 21 January, according to the military spokesperson, was conducted under a mission codenamed ‘Operation DESERT SANITY V.’

During the operations , Mr Uba said ISWAP fighters were forced to abandon key strongholds previously considered impenetrable .

“From 21 January 2026 to date, troops uncovered and destroyed 3 major terrorist detention facilities concealed within the Timbuktu Triangle forest which stretches across Borno and Yobe states,” said Mr Uba.

“Preliminary assessments indicated that the facilities had the capacity to hold up to 300 detainees, highlighting their strategic importance to ISWAP terrorists operational and coercive framework.”

He added that the operations directly led to the escape of more than 70 captives previously held by the terrorists. This account, Mr Uba said, was corroborated by many of the escaped captives “who later resurfaced in several villages like Goniri, Buratai and Mandaragirau among others.”

One of the freed captives, Jidda Ba Jidda, a native of Kufi village near Buratai in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, said he escaped during a gun duel after being abducted on 22 December.

‘32 ISWAP fighters killed’

During the encounters, Mr Uba said ISWAP suffered heavy losses, with no fewer than 32 fighters killed, including two Qaids (senior commanders) and three Munzirs (unit leaders), while several others were wounded.

Following the clearance operations, the military spokesperson said the troops “deliberately demolished” the three detention facilities, “permanently denying ISWAP the ability to reuse or reoccupy the site.”

He noted that the operations were “conducted successfully,” without what he described as “incident.”

This, he said, reflects the resilience, professionalism, discipline and combat effectiveness of the troops.

Mr Uba said the destruction of the camps goes beyond a tactical victory, weakening ISWAP’s internal enforcement system, disrupting its detention and ransom networks, and further constricting its operational freedom.

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The escape of large numbers of detainees is also expected to undermine the group’s control over local communities while providing potential intelligence that could support ongoing operations, he noted.

Mr Uba reaffirmed the military’s commitment to sustaining pressure on terrorist elements, denying them safe havens and restoring lasting peace and security across the North-east.

Since ISWAP broke away from the late Abubakar Shekau-led Boko Haram faction, the group has posed a big threat to military forces and civilians it considers as spies.

The group has launched several operations and campaigns in the North-east, targeting military formations, deploying armed drones, and lacing major roads with explosives.