By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
With renewed vigour and triumph, Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) has successfully defeated terrorist attacks in multiple locations across the Joint Operations Area in the early hours of Thursday 23 October 2025, resulting to neutralisation of over 50 terrorists across all the locations.
Between midnight and 0400 hours, the terrorists launched coordinated assaults on troops’ positions in Dikwa, Mafa, Gajibo, and Katarko, situated in Sector 1(Borno State) and Sector 2 (Yobe State) respectively, with over 70 terrorists reportedly wounded in all.
In all instances, troops stood firm, fought gallantly, and professionally repelled the attacks, dealing the terrorists a heavy decisive and bloody blow.
A statement signed by the Media Information Officer Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba revealed that the coordinated offensive response was supported by air platforms of the Air Component Command of OPHK.
The precision strikes, coupled with enhanced battlefield awareness provided by Theatre Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, gave troops additional leverage and impetus, to respond with overwhelming and lethal force.
The combined ground and air efforts resulted in the neutralisation of over 50 terrorists across all the locations.
Troops also recovered 38 AK-47 rifles, 7 PKT machine guns, 5 RPG tubes, 2 GPMGs and hand grenades along with thousands of assorted belted and loose rounds of different calibres. Additionally, over 70 of the wounded miscreants are still being pursued by ground troops supported by the Air Component in close coordination.
Intelligence further revealed the terrorists who attacked Dikwa and Gajibo manoeuvred from the Cameroon axis, while those that attacked Katarko emerged from the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist enclave.
Incidentally, some of the gallant troops were reportedly wounded in action but are in stable condition. Some vehicles and buildings were also gutted by fire from the terrorists armed drones and RPG fire during the battle especially in Mafa and Dikwa where a part of the defences were momentarily breached.
The Military High Command has commended the gallantry, doggedness and renewed charge of the troops.
“Their steadfast performance once again reaffirms the military’s unwavering resolve and capacity to defend the nation’s territorial integrity against all threats especially with the introduction of more boots and critical combat enablers into the Theatre”, it stated.
