Troops Destroy ISWAP Detention Centres in Deep Push Into Timbuktu Triangle

By Zainab Uzomah

Nigerian troops have destroyed three major Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) detention facilities hidden deep inside the Timbuktu Triangle, marking one of the most significant advances yet into areas long regarded as insurgent strongholds.

In a statement signed by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, the military said the two-week operation—conducted under Operation Desert Sanity V—followed sustained offensive pressure that forced ISWAP fighters to abandon critical sites in the forested enclave spanning Borno and Yobe states.

According to the statement, the detention centres, capable of holding up to 300 people, formed a strategic part of ISWAP’s coercive and operational system. Troops reportedly uncovered and demolished the facilities between 21 January and early February, in what the military described as a decisive blow to the group’s ability to detain civilians, collect ransom, and exert influence over local communities.

The military also disclosed that more than 70 captives escaped as a direct result of the offensive. Many of them resurfaced in communities such as Goniri, Buratai and Mandaragirau. One of the escapees, Malam Jidda Ba Jidda, said he fled during a gun battle between ISWAP fighters and advancing soldiers. He was abducted on 22 December 2025 from Kufi village near Buratai in Biu Local Government Area.

During the series of engagements, at least 32 ISWAP fighters—including two Qaids and three Munzirs—were killed, while several others were wounded. The military said the operation was completed without incident and attributed the success to the professionalism and discipline of troops of Operation Hadin Kai.

Officials said the destruction of the detention camps amounts to more than an isolated tactical gain, arguing that it weakens ISWAP’s internal structures, hampers its ability to intimidate civilians, and provides an opportunity to gather intelligence from freed detainees.

While security across the North-East remains “calm but unpredictable,” the military said troop morale is high and operations will continue to focus on denying insurgents safe havens and restoring stability in the region.