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Army foils simultaneous attacks in four Borno communities

We neutralised 83 terrorists, arrested 65 suspects, rescued 46 kidnapped victims in one month — Nigerian Army

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By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

Unspecified number of Boko Haram/ISWAP Amirs (Commanders) and other fighters were killed by Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) and the Air Component in a fresh but multiple attacks on Jagana, Mainok, Konduga, Marte communities of Konduga and Marte local government areas of Borno state.

These coordinated attacks came less than two days when some armed terrorists invaded Ngoshe community of Gwoza local government area of the state which claimed lives and displacement of many residents.

The desperate attacks, launched on Thursday. night between approximately 10:30pm uptill 3:am, this morning, were met with overwhelming resistance from alert and determined troops who firmly held their defensive positions despite the intensity of the assaults.

Regrettably, a number of brave soldiers paid the supreme price in the line of duty, including a gallant Officer who fought courageously from the front while leading his troops against the attackers.

In a press statement on Friday morning by the Media Information Officer Headquarters Joint Task Force North East ‘Operation HADIN KAI’, Lt. Col. Sani Uba said: “Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have once again successfully thwarted coordinated terrorist attempts to overrun troops’ locations in Konduga, Marte, Jakana and Mainok.

“The desperate attacks, launched between approximately 2230hrs uptill 0300 hours this morning, were met with overwhelming resistance from alert and determined troops who firmly held their defensive positions despite the intensity of the assaults.

“In a well-coordinated response, troops executed simultaneous flanking manoeuvres alongside reinforcement teams drawn from Sectors 1 and 2, decisively routing the attacking terrorists and forcing them into disorganised withdrawals.

“In some isolated instances where sections of the defensive perimeter were temporarily breached, troops swiftly counter-attacked and fully regained control of their positions.

“During the fierce engagements, several terrorist leaders, including key Amirs(Leaders), were neutralised while a number of insurgent fighters were eliminated during the counter-offensive.

“Although some structures within the locations sustained damage during the intense firefights, all bases remain firmly under the control of OPHK troops.

“In close coordination with the Air Component, multiple precision air strikes were conducted overnight against fleeing terrorist elements and identified hostile positions, further neutralising scores of insurgents and degrading their fighting capability.

“Ground troops are currently conducting exploitation operations across the affected areas, with recovery of terrorist corpses, weapons and other combat equipment ongoing.

“Regrettably, a number of brave soldiers paid the supreme price in the line of duty, including a gallant Officer who fought courageously from the front while leading his troops against the attackers.

“Their sacrifice reflects the unwavering commitment of the Nigerian Armed Forces to defending the nation and protecting innocent citizens. The failed attacks clearly underscore the increasing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained operational pressure across the theatre. Operation HADIN KAI remains firmly in control of the battlespace”. Uba explained.