Troops of Operation HADIN KAI Foil ISWAP Attacks on Multiple Fronts in Borno
Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have once again asserted battlefield dominance, decisively repelling coordinated terrorist attacks in Limankara and Kukawa areas of Borno State.
The failed assaults, launched on the night of 20 February 2026, underscore the mounting pressure on terrorist enclaves, logistics corridors, and leadership structures across the North-East theatre. Sustained offensive operations and targeted strikes, military authorities say, continue to restrict insurgents’ freedom of action, forcing them into hurried withdrawals with significant losses.
In a statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Uba Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, troops of Sector 2 under Operation DESERT SANITY V expanded the offensive with a precision operation in the early hours of 22 February 2026 around Lamusheri Village in Gujba Local Government Area.
Acting on weeks of actionable intelligence supported by satellite imagery and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) air platforms, troops targeted what was identified as a major terrorist launch pad and logistics hub. Despite coming under fire while advancing, the troops, working in synergy with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, successfully outflanked the insurgents and blocked their withdrawal routes.
During the ensuing firefight and follow-up exploitation, 15 terrorists were neutralised, while several others reportedly fled with gunshot wounds. Troops destroyed extensive defensive and life-support structures, set ablaze five terrorist tricycles and two vehicles used for operations and logistics, and recovered a cache of arms, ammunition, bandoliers and camel pouches.
On the same night, terrorists attempted to infiltrate the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Limankara. Alert troops swiftly engaged the attackers in a fierce firefight, bringing disciplined firepower and coordinated tactics to bear. Rapid reinforcements, supported by the Air Component Command, overwhelmed the assailants, forcing them to retreat in disarray through the burial ground axis.
No casualties or equipment losses were recorded on the side of the troops, while human intelligence sources indicated multiple casualties among the attackers. The situation, according to the military, remains firmly under control.
In a related development, terrorists mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles, with additional fighters advancing on foot, launched a coordinated multi-pronged attack on troops in Kukawa from the Alagarno and Jemmu axes.
Anticipating such attempts, troops mounted a resolute defence, engaging the insurgents in an intense firefight that lasted into the early hours of 21 February 2026. Superior firepower and coordinated ground resistance, reinforced by air support from the OPHK Air Component, compelled the terrorists to withdraw, dragging away their casualties.
Air platforms subsequently conducted precision strikes, destroying one terrorist gun truck and neutralising four fighters aboard it. Persistent aerial surveillance tracked fleeing insurgents on five motorcycles to a convergence point, where another precision strike destroyed the motorcycles and neutralised 10 additional fighters.
During post-strike exploitation, troops recovered 13 AK-47 rifles, 16 loaded AK-47 magazines, three handheld radios used for communication, stretchers used to evacuate casualties, as well as shallow graves and blood trails left behind by the retreating terrorists.
However, the military confirmed that one soldier paid the supreme price during the engagements, while some combat enablers were destroyed by rocket fire. Wounded personnel were promptly evacuated by Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and are reported to be in stable condition.
The coordinated air and land operations significantly compounded enemy losses and reinforced OPHK’s operational dominance across the theatre. The Military High Command commended the troops for their impressive performance and urged them to sustain the operational momentum in the ongoing campaign against insurgency.
