Troops repel ISWAP attack, rescue abductees in Borno

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have repelled a coordinated attack by suspected ISWAP terrorists on a military position in Borno.

This is contained in an operational report made available to the News reporters on Saturday in Abuja.

The report said that the terrorists launched a three-pronged attack on troops of 3 Battalion deployed at a combat outpost in the Lake Chad region in the early hours of Friday.

It said the insurgents attacked from the directions of Wurge, Manawaji and Kinuba but were met with stiff resistance by the troops who received reinforcement from the battalion headquarters.

According to the report, mortar and artillery support enabled the troops to repel the attack, forcing the terrorists to retreat from the area.

“Drone footage obtained after the encounter showed the terrorists withdrawing several kilometres from the military position.

“Signs observed during follow-up exploitation indicate that some of the fleeing terrorists may have sustained casualties.”

The report further said that troops later conducted a clearance operation along the withdrawal route and recovered three unexploded RPG-7 rounds and two torch lights abandoned by the terrorists.

It also said that the troops of the 82 Division Task Force, in a separate operation, rescued three abductees during a fighting patrol around Amuda area of Gwoza Local Government Area.

According to the report, the rescued victims, identified as Ali Usman, 15, Umar Ibrahim Abubakar, 15, and Fatima Abubakar, 12, were found wandering in the bush after escaping from terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains.

The report said preliminary investigations revealed that the victims fled from their captors following disorganisation within the insurgents’ camps caused by sustained military offensives in the area.

According to the report, the troops subsequently screened the victims and reunited them with community leaders in Ngoshe, while efforts are ongoing to obtain further intelligence from the rescued children.

The military said the operations underscored the effectiveness of ongoing offensives aimed at dismantling terrorist strongholds and facilitating the safe return of civilians held in captivity.