Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) said it repelled a coordinated attack on Madaragrau in the Biu local government area of Borno state in the early hours of Saturday, neutralising 38 terrorists.
The Media Information Officer of the Theatre Command, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, in a statement also revealed that seven AK-47 rifles were recovered during the operation.
“The troops in the early hours of Saturday, 28 March 2026, decisively defeated a half-hearted attack by ISWAP terrorists on FOB Mandaragirau in Sector 2.
“The troops engaged the attackers with well-coordinated ambushes and a deliberate offensive-defensive response that forced them into a disorderly withdrawal while the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support to the troops and ISR feedback to enhance targeted kinetic responses.
“Subsequent exploitation along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted further heavy losses. A total of about 38 terrorists were neutralised, with 8 bodies recovered so far within the immediate engagement area, and human intelligence from locals confirming over 30 additional terrorist bodies and weapons strewn along Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle.
“This was evidenced by blood trails and abandoned equipment. Troops also recovered 7 AK-47 rifles, 8 magazines, 4 RPG bombs and assorted ammunition, while recording no fatalities; one MRAP was hit by RPG fire, with injured personnel promptly stabilised,” the statement reads in part.
Lt. Col. UBA further noted that the scale of enemy losses has triggered widespread jubilation among local communities and underscores the sustained dominance of OPHK troops in denying terrorists freedom of action.
He added that further exploitation operations are ongoing along the Garin Mallum – Garin Gajere axis at the fringes of the Timbuktu Triangle to recover the littered terrorists’ corpses and consolidate gains.
