Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have repelled a coordinated attack by Islamic State West Africa Province fighters on Kukareta community in Borno State, killing a top commander and 24 other insurgents in the process.
The Theatre Commander, Abdulsalam Abubakar, disclosed this while providing an operational update in Maiduguri, stating that one insurgent was captured alive during the encounter.
According to him, the neutralised commander was identified as Abu Umar Bundi Munzir, who was among those leading the failed assault on the community.
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday shortly after midnight, was aimed at overrunning the area but was met with stiff resistance from troops of Sector 2, who engaged the insurgents in a sustained counter-offensive that lasted until about 3:00 a.m.
Abubakar said the troops successfully repelled the attack, forcing the insurgents into a disorganised retreat after inflicting heavy casualties.
He confirmed that a total of 24 additional terrorists were killed during the operation, bringing the number of those neutralised to 25, including the commander.
Following the engagement, troops conducted exploitation operations on the battlefield, leading to the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition.
Items recovered include 18 AK-47 rifles, three General Purpose Machine Guns, two PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, and three Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) tubes.
Other recovered items are two mortar tubes, four hand grenades, 18 AK-47 magazines, and large quantities of belted 7.62mm ammunition.
The theatre commander added that two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange of fire but have since been stabilised, while an armoured reinforcement vehicle suffered tyre damage in the course of the operation.
He further stated that exploitation efforts are ongoing to recover the bodies of fleeing insurgents, as well as abandoned weapons and equipment along their withdrawal routes, which were reportedly marked by blood trails and medical supplies.
Abubakar described the outcome as a major success in the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign, assuring that sustained military pressure would continue to deny terrorist elements freedom of operation across the North-East theatre.
