OPHK Troops Kill 16 ISWAP Fighters in Major Counter-Offensive in Borno

By Zainab Uzomah | Abuja

Troops of Operations Hadin Kai have launched a major counter-offensive against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants in Borno State, killing at least 16 fighters and destroying a significant cache of the group’s logistics, the military has said.

According to a statement signed by Lt Col Sani Uba, spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, the operation followed a failed late-night attack on 5 February, when ISWAP militants attempted to storm the Forward Operating Base in Auno, near Maiduguri. Troops from Sector 1 repelled the assault with “disciplined firepower and tactical precision.”

Troops, supported by the Civilian Joint Task Force, pursued the militants on 9 February, pushing deep into the Komala and Gidan Kaji axis of Konduga. According to the military, the counter-strike forced dozens of fighters to flee with gunshot wounds. More than 20 bicycles, weapons, and large quantities of supplies were recovered, alongside the arrest of suspected ISWAP logistics suppliers transporting drugs around the Bukarti area.

In separate incidents the same day, troops foiled a kidnapping along the Buratai–Kamuya road, rescuing two abducted men. Another nine civilians were freed after a distress call along the Chibok–Damboa route.

The statement said the operations highlight ongoing efforts to protect civilians and degrade insurgent groups across the North East.