Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, have killed several terrorists and successfully foiled coordinated attacks in Adamawa and Borno states, recording a major boost in ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
The Acting Media Information Officer of the Task Force, Lieutenant Solomon Atokolo, said the successes followed swift responses by troops to attempted terrorist assaults on military formations across the region.
According to him, in the early hours of January 16, 2026, terrorists attempted to overrun a patrol base at Sabon Gari in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State under Sector 4 of Operation Hadin Kai. Alert troops engaged the attackers, with reinforcements from Gulak and the Battalion Quick Reaction Force providing support.
The terrorists were repelled without any casualties to troops or loss of equipment, forcing them to abandon the attack and flee. Atokolo said follow-up operations led to heavy losses among the fleeing terrorists, while the area was later cleared and scanned for improvised explosive devices and booby traps to ensure the safety of civilians and troops.
On the same day, terrorists also launched a large-scale, multi-directional attack on the Forward Operating Base at Azir in Borno State. The attackers initially breached part of the defensive perimeter but were met with sustained firepower from troops, supported by the Air Component and other Nigerian Army aerial platforms, forcing them to withdraw.
During the encounter, rocket-propelled grenade fire from the terrorists affected some troop-carrying vehicles and partially gutted the CCTV control room, but troops maintained control of the situation.
Several weapons and ammunition were recovered after the engagement, including a 60mm mortar tube, mortar bombs, locally fabricated , heavy machine gun rounds, and hundreds of rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition.
