Nigerian troops have killed at least 18 suspected terrorists and dismantled multiple enclaves during coordinated ground and air offensives in parts of Borno State, the Nigerian Army said on Tuesday.
The operations, conducted under “Operation Desert Sanity V”, targeted insurgent strongholds in the Timbuktu axis and the Bulabulin forest area, involving troops of Sector 2 of Operation Hadin Kai, in collaboration with its air component, and members of the local vigilante.
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Sani Uba, the spokesperson for the joint task force, in a statement on Tuesday, said troops working alongside the Civilian Joint Task Force and Sector 2 Stabilisation Force Brigade, recorded operational success in Bulabulin Forest axis, clearing several terrorist hideouts in Mar, Subdu, Yaro Lawanti and Yaro Shuwari communities, as well as adjoining areas along the Kamadogu Yobe stretch.
Mr Uba, a lieutenant colonel, stated that the operation intensified when troops made contact with insurgents at Malam Shiri village. Backed by air support, soldiers executed a “well-coordinated flanking manoeuvre,” killing 11 fighters while others fled with injuries.
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Weapons recovered from the operation include nine AK-47 rifles, three PKT anti-aircraft machine guns, five motorcycles, ammunition and materials for making improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The military spokesperson said all identified life-support structures used by the insurgents were destroyed.
In a separate but simultaneous operation along the Wajiroko–Sabongari corridor in the Timbuktu axis, Mr Uba said troops engaged another group of terrorists with air support. Seven insurgents, according to him, were confirmed killed in that encounter, while blood trails and body parts suggested additional casualties.
Items recovered at the scene include AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes, a large cache of ammunition, bandoliers and communication equipment.
The Nigerian Air Force component of the joint task force provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), enabling precise targeting of insurgent positions. Air strikes were also carried out on confirmed locations and fleeing fighters, significantly degrading their capacity, the military spokesperson said.
Mr Uba said troops were still conducting follow-up operations in the Forfor, Multe and Wajiroko areas to track fleeing insurgents and prevent regrouping.
The military spokesperson said the latest offensives demonstrate growing operational effectiveness and sustained pressure on insurgent groups across the North-east theatre.
The Boko Haram insurgency has entered its 17th year, with the conflict no longer confined to the North-east. While the epicentre remains Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, the violence has spilt into other regions, notably the North-central, where a Boko Haram commander, Mallam Sadiku, is spearheading a sustained terror campaign.
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In the North-east, both Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have intensified attacks on military bases located within civilian-populated areas. These assaults have resulted in the deaths of high-ranking officers and soldiers, as well as unarmed civilians, with the groups increasingly deploying sophisticated weaponry, including armed drones.
In response, troops of Operation Hadin Kai have stepped up offensive operations, pushing into the peripheries and, at times, deep into the mountainous and forested enclaves that serve as hideouts for the insurgents.
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