Three Security Personnel Killed as Troops Repel ISWAP Attack in Borno

 

By Abdulahi Musa 

Three security personnel, including two soldiers and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), have been killed after troops of Operation Hadin Kai successfully repelled a midnight attack by suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Borno State. 

The attack occurred late on July 1 at the Forward Operating Base in Mairari, Guzamala Local Government Area, where insurgents launched a coordinated assault on the military formation. Troops engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, forcing them to retreat after suffering heavy casualties. 

According to the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Muhammed Goni, several weapons and military equipment were recovered from the fleeing terrorists, including AK-47 rifles, loaded magazines and rocket-propelled grenade tubes. Surveillance footage also showed insurgents evacuating their dead and wounded from the battlefield. 

The military said the attack appeared to be an attempt to disrupt the ongoing resettlement of more than 950 households recently returned to Mairari. Despite the assault, no civilian casualties were recorded, and the troops maintained control of the base throughout the operation. 

A reinforcement team from Monguno later discovered and safely detonated two improvised explosive devices planted along the route before engaging the retreating terrorists, inflicting additional losses on the insurgents. 

While mourning the three fallen personnel, the military commended the courage and resilience of the troops, reaffirming its commitment to sustained operations against terrorism and the restoration of peace across Nigeria's North-East.