Troops take down 48 terrorists in Borno and Yobe

Troops from the Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI, have killed 48 Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists. They did this while stopping attacks on military positions in Bitta, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, and the North East Theatre Training School (NETTS) in Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.

Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Media Information Officer at Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, shared the news on the Nigerian Army’s X handle on Friday. He said these operations happened between October 29 and 30, 2026.

In Bitta, troops disrupted a terrorist attack on the night of October 29. Ground forces, backed by air support, overwhelmed the attackers. This made the terrorists abandon their plan and suffer heavy losses.

In another operation, troops launched a strong counter-attack against a large group of ISWAP fighters. These fighters attacked NETTS Buni Yadi from the night of October 29 into the early hours of October 30. The battle lasted about five hours and involved the use of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) systems, as well as air and ground forces directed by the Theatre Command.

“Troops recovered a large quantity of weapons and ammunition after the fighting. The items include 42 AK-47 rifles, five PKT machine guns, four General Purpose Machine Guns, one 60mm mortar, 105 AK-47 magazines, two video cameras, and thousands of rounds of various calibres of ammunition,” Goni said.

One soldier lost his life during the engagements, while two others suffered minor injuries and are now receiving treatment. The morale of the troops remains high.

The military described this result as a big setback for the terrorists. It has greatly reduced their ability to operate in the area.