Troops Repel ISWAP Assaults, Neutralise 10 Insurgents in Borno–Yobe Corridor

 Troops Repel ISWAP Assaults, Neutralise 10 Insurgents in Borno–Yobe Corridor

Troops of the Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have killed 10 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after repelling coordinated attacks on military positions across parts of Borno and Yobe states.

The encounters occurred between February 28 and March 1, 2026, along the Gajiram–Gajigana–Mayanti–Dadinjel axis, where insurgents attempted simultaneous assaults on Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in the Lake Chad region.

In a statement issued Monday in Maiduguri, OPHK’s Media Information Officer, Lt-Col. Sani Uba, said the troops successfully foiled multiple offensives targeted at military formations in Mayanti, Gajigana, Gajiram and Dadinjel.

“Our troops once again demonstrated exceptional resilience and battlefield dominance by decisively frustrating coordinated ISWAP attacks on our Forward Operating Bases,” Uba said.

He explained that the assaults, launched late on February 28 and continuing into the early hours of March 1, reflected mounting pressure on insurgent enclaves and supply routes due to sustained military offensives.

According to him, soldiers at Gajigana maintained firm control of their defensive positions after pushing back the attackers, while intense gun battles in Mayanti and Gajiram led to heavy casualties on the insurgents’ side and the seizure of significant weapons.

Detailing the Mayanti incident, Uba disclosed that the base came under heavy fire from a large number of fighters on February 28. Despite the intensity of the attack, troops held their ground until reinforcements arrived.

“The reinforcement team navigated through ambushes and improvised explosive device threats to overpower the terrorists,” he said.

Military exploitation of the area reportedly led to the recovery of five bodies and an array of arms, including three PKT anti-aircraft guns, two RPG-7 launchers, four AK-47 rifles, two FN rifles, several rocket-propelled grenades and large quantities of 7.62mm ammunition. Bloodstains along escape routes suggested additional casualties among the fleeing insurgents.

In a separate incident at about 1:15 a.m. on March 1, terrorists armed with heavy weapons and drones attacked the Gajiram base but were repelled with support from fighter jets of the Nigerian Air Force. Three more insurgent bodies were recovered along their withdrawal path.

Other items retrieved after the Gajiram encounter included four AK-47 rifles, anti-tank explosives, locally fabricated mortar bombs, an armed drone, loaded ammunition magazines, barbed wire cutters and other combat equipment abandoned during the retreat.

The statement noted that one officer lost his life during the operations, while a wounded soldier was airlifted by a military helicopter to a hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, under Sector 2’s ongoing offensive tagged Operation Desert Sanity V, troops engaged fleeing insurgents at Kayawa village, forcing them to abandon a tricycle, three motorcycles and five bicycles. Soldiers also dismantled identified support structures and arrested two suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers. Medical supplies and drugs allegedly used to treat wounded fighters were recovered during the raid.

Uba reaffirmed that the sustained operations across the Lake Chad region and Sambisa axis are aimed at denying terrorists freedom of movement and dismantling their operational networks.

“OPHK remains committed to maintaining offensive momentum until lasting peace and security are fully restored in the northeast,” he said.