Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have thwarted an early‑morning attempt by terrorists based in the Mandara Mountains to infiltrate Bitta in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing several insurgents and dealing a significant blow to their operational capability.
In a statement, the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, explained that the incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday.
“At about 0030 hours on 18 December 2025, troops, supported by advanced surveillance systems, detected the movement of terrorists advancing towards the area,” Uba said.
He explained that the troops “exercised tactical restraint and professionalism,” allowing the insurgents to move into effective engagement range before unleashing coordinated defensive fires.
“The engagement resulted in the neutralisation of several insurgents, including a top key terrorist fighter and his cameraman,” the statement added.
Uba said that after the initial ground engagement, the surviving terrorists attempted to withdraw, but “follow‑on precision strikes were subsequently conducted by the Air Component of OPHK, further decimating the retreating elements and disrupting their escape routes.”
According to the Theatre Command, the troops recovered a cache of weapons and equipment, including:
A camcorder
AK‑47 rifles and 11 magazines with rounds
Bandoliers and handheld radios
PKT machine guns and belts of linked PKT and GPMG ammunition
Several mobile phones
Motorcycles and bicycles
The statement noted that the seized items help illustrate the terrorists’ operational capacity prior to the interception.
Uba added that subsequent exploitation of the battlefield revealed multiple blood trails and shallow graves, indicative of additional casualties sustained by the terrorists during the encounter and the ensuing air strikes.