By Joy Yesufu
Troops of the Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI have repelled a night attack by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists on the 120 Task Force Battalion in Gonori, Borno State.
The military said the attempted assault occurred late Saturday and extended into the early hours of Sunday, but was successfully foiled through a coordinated land and air operation.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of Headquarters, Joint Task Force (North East), Lt.-Col. Sani Uba, the Army said the attackers advanced from the Mandunari axis around midnight on May 9, 2026, but were detected early by troops stationed at the base.
According to the statement, the troops immediately launched a counteroffensive to prevent the insurgents from breaching the military formation.
“Troops immediately executed a well-coordinated spoiling attack which caught the terrorists in a devastating killing zone,” the statement said.
The military added that the operation later escalated into a joint land and air assault, with air platforms from Operation HADIN KAI and the Nigerian Army Aviation providing support to ground troops.
“The air component subsequently completed a well synchronised air-land assault that decimated the retreating insurgents and sealed the totality of their defeat,” the statement added.
The Army said no section of the military camp was breached during the attack and no equipment was lost.
Following the encounter, troops reportedly conducted exploitation operations across the surrounding area and discovered evidence indicating heavy casualties among the attackers.
According to the statement, soldiers observed extensive blood trails, body parts, and other battle damage, in addition to recovering corpses of suspected insurgents within the vicinity of the attack.
Troops also recovered weapons and ammunition from the scene, including one General Purpose Machine Gun, two PKT machine guns, five AK-47 rifles, and several belts of assorted ammunition.
The military further disclosed that soldiers injured during the encounter were responding to treatment and remained in stable condition adding that follow-up operations were ongoing to track fleeing insurgents and consolidate operational gains in the area.
Operation HADIN KAI described the outcome as a reflection of the military’s sustained operational superiority in the North-East theatre.
“The failed attack reinforces the unrelenting operational dominance of OPHK and the futility of terrorist aggression against well-fortified and battle-ready troops across the theatre,” the statement noted.
