At least one senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander has been killed, alongside 24 other insurgents, after troops foiled a coordinated attack on the Kukareta community in Borno State.
The military also captured one terrorist alive during the operation, which took place in the early hours of Thursday.
According to Abdulsalam Abubakar, Theatre Commander of North East Operation HADIN KAI, the insurgents launched the assault shortly after midnight in an attempt to overrun the location. Troops from Sector 2 mounted a sustained counter-offensive that lasted until approximately 3:00 a.m., successfully repelling the attack.
Mr Abubakar confirmed that the terrorist commander, identified as Abu Umar Bundi Munzir, was among those neutralised. The remaining attackers were forced into a disorganised withdrawal.
Following the encounter, troops conducted a battlefield exploitation, recovering a substantial cache of weaponry, including:
· 18 AK-47 rifles
· Three general-purpose machine guns
· Two PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns
· Three RPG tubes
· Two mortar tubes
· Four hand grenades
· 18 AK-47 magazines
· Large quantities of belted 7.62mm ammunition
Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds during the firefight and have since been stabilised. An armoured reinforcement vehicle also sustained tyre damage. Further exploitation operations are ongoing, with blood trails and discarded medical items marking the insurgents’ withdrawal routes.
The Theatre Commander described the operation as a significant success in the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign, vowing to maintain sustained pressure to deny terrorist elements freedom of action in the North-East theatre.
