Boko Haram Raiders Hit Auno, Kukareta in Twin Night Attacks

By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri

Suspected Boko Haram insurgents on Friday night launched coordinated attacks on Auno in Borno State and Kukareta in Yobe State, targeting military positions and vulnerable spots along the busy Maiduguri–Damaturu highway.

Security sources confirmed in Maiduguri on Saturday that dozens of armed fighters reportedly emerged from the southern fringes of the Sambisa Forest, striking the two communities and military checkpoints positioned along the strategic corridor linking the neighbouring states.

Despite the intensity of the assaults, the sources said the attacks were successfully repelled by troops on the ground, forcing the insurgents to retreat towards the Sasawa forest axis in Yobe State.

“There were no casualties recorded among the troops or civilians in the twin incidents,” a military source disclosed, attributing the outcome to the swift response of security personnel stationed in the affected areas.

Further findings indicate that the attacks may be linked to sustained military pressure within the Sambisa Forest, where intensified ground and aerial counter-terrorism operations are said to be disrupting insurgent hideouts and supply routes.

According to security officials, the ongoing operations have compelled surviving fighters to flee the forest enclave and attempt hit-and-run attacks on soft targets, particularly along the 132-kilometre Maiduguri–Damaturu road.

Interestingly, residents of nearby communities, such as Benisheikh, Mainok, and Jakana, were reportedly unaware of the attacks until alerts were received from military formations in the affected locations.

“It was an emergency report from our military post that drew attention to the Friday night attacks on Auno and Kukareta,” one of the sources said.

Security agencies have since maintained heightened surveillance along the highway, ensuring residents and travellers continued protection as operations against insurgent elements intensify across the region.

Troops Smash ISWAP Detention Network, Free Captives in Sambisa Forest

By Njadvara Musa, Damaturu 

Troops of the Northeast Joint Task Force under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have recorded another major breakthrough after destroying three detention facilities operated by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) deep inside the Sambisa Forest in Yobe State.

The facilities, located within the notorious Timbuktu Triangle of the forest in Gujba Local Government Area, were dismantled during a coordinated ground offensive that pushed troops further into areas long regarded as terrorist strongholds.

Confirming the operation, the OPHK Media Information Officer, Lt-Col. Sani Uba, disclosed in a statement issued in Maiduguri on Wednesday that the development marked a significant advance in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign.

The destruction of these detention facilities represents a major ground operation into territories previously considered beyond the reach of our troops and other security agencies,” Uba said.

According to him, the successful identification and neutralisation of the facilities highlight the growing effectiveness and sustainability of military operations across the Sambisa Forest and the wider Lake Chad region.

Uba explained that the operation was conducted under Operation DESERT SANITY V, following sustained pressure, intelligence-led manoeuvres, and aggressive patrols that forced terrorists to abandon critical infrastructure within their enclaves.

“The exposure and destruction of these facilities clearly demonstrate that our troops have penetrated deep into ISWAP’s inner sanctuaries, denying them space to operate and weakening their operational capability,” he added.

Preliminary assessments revealed that the destroyed facilities had the capacity to hold up to 300 detainees, underscoring their strategic importance to ISWAP’s operational and coercive structure.

More significantly, the offensive reportedly led to the escape of over 70 captives who had been held by the terrorists. Many of the escapees later resurfaced in surrounding communities, including Goniri, Buratai and Mandaragirau.

One of the escapees, Malam Jidda Ba Jidda, a native of Kufi village in Buratai, Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, recounted his ordeal, saying he was abducted on 22 December 2025.

“I escaped from the ISWAP detention centre during a gun battle between the terrorists and advancing troops in the Timbuktu Triangle,” he said.

The military says operations in the Sambisa Forest are ongoing, with troops maintaining pressure on terrorist elements to dismantle remaining hideouts and restore safety to affected communities.

Troops neutralise Boko Haram commander, 10 other fighters in Borno

By Tada Jutha, Maiduguri

Troops of the Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Desert Sanity V under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in collaboration with the Civilian JTF have recorded another significant operational success with the neutralisation of a Boko Haram commander, Abu Khalid, and 10 other terrorists in Sambisa. Forest of Borno State.

Khalid and the other ten terrorists were killed in a Saturday night military operations in the Timbuktu triangle of the forest.

These were disclosed on Sunday in Maiduguri in a statement of the OPHK Media Information Officer, Lt-Col. Sani Uba.

He said: “Barely 24 hours after killing the ISWAP commander on Friday, troops made contact with terrorists at the Komala general area of Konduga Local Government Area during night offensives at 11:00 p.m., when Abu Khalid was a key figure within the terrorist hierarchy,” adding that Khalid coordinates operations and logistics in the Sambisa Forest.

Uba stated that following the successful engagement with terrorists, the troops also recovered five AK-47 rifles, magazines, over a dozen bicycles, assorted logistics and food items, as well as huge medical consumables.

He noted that there were no casualty recorded among the troops during the operation.

Instead, he said that the troops’ morale remains high as clearance operations continue across the forest, Mandara Mountains, Timbuktu Triangle, and other identified terrorist hideouts in the northeastern region.

The Military High Command commended the troops for their sacrifices and dedication in the fight against terrorism and other criminal activities in the region, urging them to sustain the operational tempo of degrading the remnants of terrorists.