Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have repelled a coordinated five-pronged terrorist assault on military positions in Mallam Fatori, Borno State, neutralising over 80 insurgents, including high-profile commanders, in one of the most significant engagements recorded in the theatre in recent months.
Desk: Defence & Security
Date: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Time: 23:10 WAT
Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria
The attack, launched in the early hours of Wednesday, saw terrorists advancing in large numbers from the Duguri axis, supported by armed drones in an attempt to breach defensive positions in Sector 3, particularly along the frontage of a key company location, as contained in a statement issued by the Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba.
Troops, having maintained full situational awareness, anticipated the assault and executed a deliberate offensive-defensive operation that combined disciplined fire control, coordinated manoeuvre and superior tactical execution to disrupt and rout the attackers. The insurgents were overwhelmed and forced into disorganised retreat after suffering heavy casualties.
Air power played a decisive role in the outcome, with precision close air support from the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI complemented by strike missions from allied Nigerien air assets, further degrading the terrorists’ fighting capability during the engagement.
Exploitation operations led to the recovery of a significant cache of weapons and combat enablers, including 52 AK-47 rifles, 8 PKT machine guns, 7 RPG tubes, 5 general purpose machine guns, over 3,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, 21 RPG bombs, 9 improvised explosive devices, communication radios and components of armed drones used in the attack.
Despite the scale and intensity of the assault, troop casualties remained minimal, with four soldiers wounded in action and stabilised, while further battle damage assessment of air interdictions remains ongoing.
Notably, the operation resulted in the neutralisation of three high-profile terrorist commanders identified as Mallam Abdulrahman Gobara, Mallam Ba Yuram and Abou Ayyuba, alongside several other fighters, in what represents a significant disruption to the terrorist command structure within the axis.
The military described the outcome as a major operational setback for insurgent networks, underscoring the growing combat effectiveness and resilience of Operation HADIN KAI forces across the North-East theatre.
The failed assault, the military added, contradicts recent propaganda suggesting operational setbacks, affirming that troops remain in firm control of all positions while sustaining offensive pressure through coordinated joint operations.
Operation HADIN KAI reassured residents that the security situation in Mallam Fatori and surrounding areas remains under control, urging the public to remain vigilant and disregard unverified reports intended to undermine ongoing military efforts.
🏷️ Tags: Operation Hadin Kai, Nigerian Military, Counter-Insurgency, ISWAP, Boko Haram, Borno State, Mallam Fatori, Joint Operations
#OperationHadinKai #CounterInsurgency #BornoSecurity #JointOperations #NationalSecurity
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