Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation HADIN KAI on Thursday night repelled a coordinated attack by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Gajibo village, Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The military disclosed this in a statement released Friday and signed by Ajemasu Yake Jingina, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 7 Division Nigerian Army.
According to the statement, the terrorists belonging to the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram and ISWAP launched the attack at approximately 10:20 p.m. on May 22.
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The soldiers stationed at the base responded swiftly and fiercely, successfully holding off the insurgents until reinforcements from the Brigade Headquarters and 134 Special Forces Battalion arrived.
“A successful counter-attack was conducted, resulting in the reoccupation of the base.
At least five terrorists were neutralised in the engagement, with several weapons and supplies recovered during the mop-up operation.
“These included an AK 101 rifle, a magazine loaded with 13 rounds of 5.56mm NATO ammunition, 51 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and 16 additional rounds of 5.56mm NATO ammunition.
“Other recovered items included an unexploded grenade, two terrorist masks, a Baofeng radio, a torchlight, and a pair of desert boots—equipment often used by insurgent fighters”, the statement reads.
The Army reiterated its commitment to rooting out terrorism and restoring lasting peace in the North-East.
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“Undeterred by the challenges, Operation HADIN KAI remains steadfast in intensifying the fight against terrorist groups and maintaining the tempo of ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the Northeast,” the military said.
Thursday night’s attack is the latest in a series of attempts by insurgent groups to overrun military positions in Borno, a state that has been at the epicentre of Nigeria’s 14-year-old insurgency. However, with increasingly fortified bases and rapid response capabilities, the Nigerian Army has claimed numerous recent victories in repelling such advances.
Security experts say such counterattacks not only demonstrate improved coordination and morale within the troops but also help secure vulnerable communities in the region that often suffer collateral damage from insurgent raids.
