In a recent counteroffensive operation, combined forces of the Northeast Joint Taskforce Operation, Hadin Kai, have successfully eliminated two high-ranking Boko Haram commanders along with eleven other insurgents in the Bitta and Wulgo communities of Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State.
The slain commanders, identified as Abu Nazir (Munzir of Juye) and Abu Fatima (Munzir of Koloram), led their group in two unsuccessful assaults on these communities on August 21 and 22. The ground troops, receiving close air support, engaged the terrorists in a fierce confrontation that resulted in the deaths of all thirteen insurgents.
Maj. Gen. Abdulsallam Abubakar, Theater Commander of the Northeast Joint Taskforce Operation, confirmed the successful counterattack, stating that the terrorists attempted to infiltrate Bitta and Wulgo during the midnight hours of Thursday. The intense battle persisted for several hours, continuing into the early hours of Friday.
Additionally, the operation resulted in the seizure of six motorcycles belonging to the insurgents, along with numerous AK-47 rifles and a substantial cache of ammunition. Maj. Gen. Abubakar noted that several terrorists managed to flee with varying degrees of injuries sustained during the engagement.
Bitta and Wulgo are part of the seven resettled wards in Gwoza LGA, which were previously displaced due to Boko Haram’s takeover, where the group briefly established a caliphate in 2014. Since then, Nigerian Armed Forces have successfully reclaimed Gwoza and surrounding communities, including Bitta and Wulgo. Despite government efforts to resettle the affected communities, sporadic attacks by insurgents continue, largely due to the proximity of the Mandara Mountains and the Cameroonian border, areas known to harbor terrorist elements.
