OPHK Troops Neutralise 1,000 Insurgents, 67 Commanders in Q1 2026

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

About 1,000 insurgents, including 67 commanders, were neutralised by troops of the Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) during operations conducted across the theatre in the first quarter of 2026.

The disclosure was made by the Theatre Commander OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, during an operational study tour by participants of Course 12 of the Air Force War College Nigeria to the Headquarters Theatre Command OPHK at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Borno State.

In a statement signed by the Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the Theatre Commander said troops had continued to dominate the battlespace while significantly degrading insurgents’ operational capabilities.

He noted that the theatre was currently in the kinetic phase of its campaign, with operational locations expanded to ensure wider coverage across the area of responsibility in collaboration with the Multinational Joint Task Force.

Meanwhile, Major General Abubakar highlighted the critical role of air power in counter-insurgency operations, revealing that OPHK units had in recent weeks successfully neutralised hostile drones without casualties among ground troops.

To strengthen operational coordination, he disclosed that a Joint Fire Support Coordinating Centre had been established to regulate air platform movements, assign operational tasks, and define arcs of fire during operations.

The Theatre Commander described OPHK as a formidable force within the sub-region, stressing that no operational base had been overrun or dislodged in recent times despite sustained offensives against insurgents.Earlier, the Commandant of the Air Force War College Nigeria and leader of the delegation, Air Vice Marshal Gambo Mbaka, commended the Theatre Command for hosting the team and exposing participants to the realities of contemporary military operations.

He explained that the study tour formed part of the academic programme for Course 12, inaugurated on January 2, 2026, aimed at providing participants with firsthand exposure to operational and campaign planning, joint force employment, and assessment of air capabilities in ongoing military operations.

Mbaka emphasised that evolving security threats require coordinated and intelligence-driven approaches integrating air, land, and special operations within a joint operational framework.

He added that the Nigerian Air Force remained a critical component of OPHK through intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions,offensive air operations, air mobility, and logistics support.

Highlights of the visit included operational briefings, interactive sessions, exchange of plaques, endorsement of the visitors’ register, and a group photograph attended by component commanders, field commanders, principal staff officers, and other senior officers of the Theatre Command.