Troops Kill Over 50 Terrorists, Repel Coordinated Attacks In Borno And Yobe

In a fierce overnight battle that tested the Nigerian Army’s resilience, troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have killed more than 50 terrorists and repelled multiple coordinated attacks on military positions across Borno and Yobe States.

The attacks, which occurred between midnight and 4 a.m. on Thursday, saw insurgents launching simultaneous assaults on Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo, and Katarko—locations under Sectors 1 and 2 of the Joint Operations Area 1.

In a statement released in Maiduguri on Thursday, Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North East (OPHK), said the troops fought with “gallantry and professionalism,” crushing the attacks and inflicting “devastating losses” on the assailants.

“Troops of Operation HADIN KAI with renewed vigour successfully defeated terrorist attacks on multiple locations across the Joint Operations Area in the early hours of today, 23 October 2025,”
the statement read.

Backed by precision air strikes from the Air Component Command of OPHK, ground troops launched a coordinated counteroffensive that left over 50 terrorists neutralised across all the battlefronts.

Uba explained that intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support gave troops a decisive edge, allowing them to respond with “overwhelming and lethal force.”

Recovered from the battle were 38 AK-47 rifles, seven PKT machine guns, five RPG tubes, two GPMGs, hand grenades, and thousands of assorted rounds of ammunition.

He added that over 70 wounded terrorists were being pursued as troops continued clearance operations, with air support maintaining close coordination to ensure no remnants escaped.

According to intelligence reports, the insurgents who attacked Dikwa and Gajibo advanced from the Cameroon axis, while those who struck Katarko came from the Timbuktu Triangle, a notorious terrorist stronghold.

While some gallant troops sustained injuries, Uba confirmed they were in stable condition, noting that a few vehicles and buildings in Mafa and Dikwa were gutted by fire following RPG and drone attacks from the terrorists.

Despite the intensity of the onslaught, troops maintained full control of all their positions and repelled every wave of attack.

The Military High Command has since commended the troops’ courage and tenacity, describing their actions as a reflection of the military’s unwavering resolve to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

This latest victory marks another significant blow against insurgents in the North-East theatre of operations, reaffirming the Nigerian military’s capacity to withstand and neutralise coordinated threats to national security.