Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have repelled a night attack by ISWAP terrorists on 120 Task Force Battalion in Gonori, Borno State, in an operation that extended from late Saturday into the early hours of Sunday.
The Army said the attackers, who advanced from the Mandunari axis around midnight on 9 May 2026, were detected early and immediately engaged by troops in what it described as a coordinated defensive response.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of Headquarters, Joint Task Force (North East), Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, the military said the attackers were overwhelmed before they could breach the defensive position.
“Troops immediately executed a well-coordinated spoiling attack which caught the terrorists in a devastating killing zone,” the statement said, adding that “no part of the camp was breached and no equipment was lost.”
According to the Army, the situation escalated into a joint land and air operation after air platforms from Operation HADIN KAI and the Nigerian Army Aviation were deployed to support ground troops.
“The air component subsequently completed a well synchronised air-land assault that decimated the retreating insurgents and sealed the totality of their defeat,” the statement added.
Following the encounter, troops reportedly conducted a sweep of the area, where they discovered signs of heavy casualties among the attackers.
“Exploitation of the general area revealed extensive blood trails, body parts and battle damage consistent with scores of terrorist casualties, in addition to terrorist corpses recovered within the immediate vicinity,” the Army said.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered during the operation, including one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), two PKT machine guns, five AK-47 rifles, and several belts of assorted ammunition.
The statement added that wounded soldiers are in stable condition and receiving medical attention, while follow-up operations are ongoing to track fleeing insurgents and consolidate gains.
Operation HADIN KAI described the outcome as further evidence of its battlefield dominance, stating that the failed attack “reinforces the unrelenting operational dominance of OPHK and the futility of terrorist aggression against well-fortified and battle-ready troops across the Theatre.”
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