Troops of the Nigerian Army under the Joint Task Force North East, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have achieved major successes in northern Borno during the ongoing Operation Desert Sanity, clearing multiple ISWAP terrorist camps and successfully repelling both a rare armed drone strike and a subsequent ground assault.
The operational gains were disclosed by counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama in a post on his X handle on Sunday.
According to sources cited by Makama, Truth Live News learnt that the latest phase of the operation commenced early on January 18, when troops from the Army’s Intervention Battalion departed from a harbour area to conduct clearance operations across “a wide swathe of difficult terrain and known insurgent hideouts around Chiralia, Garin Faruk and Abima axis.”
The sources reported that the troops “methodically cleared several locations and camps that showed signs of recent human activity but had been hastily deserted before their arrival,” signaling “intelligence-led pressure on terrorist elements in the area.”
At approximately 12:40 p.m., the advancing troops came under “a rare and worrying attack by a terrorist-operated armed drone.” Three soldiers sustained injuries in the strike but were reported to be “in stable condition and receiving medical care.”
Despite the drone assault, “the troops maintained momentum and continued the clearance,” the sources added.
During the operation, soldiers recovered various terrorist items, including “a Baofeng radio set, a small button phone, five empty AK-47 magazines, 63 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm special ammunition, 71 rounds of 7.62mm NATO belted ammunition, empty 12.7 x 108mm links, several Boko Haram/ISWAP flags, and an unquantified quantity of medical supplies.”
Later that evening, as the troops settled into a new harbour area, terrorists launched a ground assault at about 7:10 p.m. The sources stated that “the attack lasted roughly 25 minutes but was decisively repelled by the troops.”
“The troops maintained control of the situation, and the area remained under firm military dominance,” the post concluded.
