Troops Repel Midnight ISWAP Assault on Gonori Base, Kill Scores in Air-Land Offensive

Troops of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, have repelled a midnight attack by suspected ISWAP terrorists on the 120 Task Force Battalion in Gonori, Borno State, killing scores of insurgents during a coordinated air and ground counter-offensive.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the terrorists launched the attack from the Mandunari axis late Saturday night but were detected early by an ambush team positioned around the battalion location.

The statement said troops immediately launched what it described as a “well-coordinated spoiling attack,” forcing the insurgents into a deadly killing zone before they could penetrate the military formation.

Military authorities said no part of the camp was breached during the encounter and no military equipment was lost.

The operation was later reinforced by platforms from the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI and the Nigerian Army Aviation, which carried out coordinated strikes on fleeing terrorists.

“The well-synchronised air-land assault decimated the retreating insurgents and sealed the totality of their defeat,” the statement added.

Troops conducting exploitation operations after the battle reportedly discovered extensive blood trails, body parts and multiple signs of heavy casualties inflicted on the attackers.

Security forces also recovered several weapons and ammunition from the scene, including one General Purpose Machine Gun, two PKT machine guns, five AK-47 rifles and belts of assorted ammunition.

The military further disclosed that some soldiers sustained injuries during the operation but are currently stable and receiving medical treatment.

Operation HADIN KAI said exploitation operations remain ongoing in the area as troops continue efforts to track down fleeing terrorists and consolidate gains recorded during the encounter.

The military described the failed attack as further proof of the operational strength of troops deployed across the North-East theatre.