Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have repelled an early-morning infiltration attempt by terrorists operating from the Mandara Mountains into Bitta community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing several insurgents and significantly degrading their operational capacity.
According to a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, the incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday.
He explained that after the initial engagement, surviving terrorists attempted to flee the area, prompting follow-up precision strikes by the Air Component of OPHK. The air operations further neutralised retreating fighters and disrupted their escape routes.
“At about 12:30 a.m. on December 18, 2025, troops, supported by advanced surveillance assets, detected terrorist movements towards the area,” Uba said. “The troops exercised tactical restraint, allowing the insurgents to enter an effective engagement range before launching coordinated defensive fire.”
The engagement, he said, led to the killing of several terrorists, including a senior fighter and his cameraman.
Military sources disclosed that troops recovered various weapons and equipment during the operation, including AK-47 rifles, PKT machine guns, ammunition, bandoliers, handheld radios, mobile phones, a camcorder, motorcycles, and bicycles.
Lt. Col. Uba added that further exploitation of the area revealed multiple blood trails and shallow graves, suggesting that additional casualties were inflicted on the terrorists during the ground engagement and subsequent air strikes.
