By Nkechi Eze
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI, working in close collaboration with local vigilante groups, have successfully foiled a terrorist logistics movement and neutralised 17 suspected insurgents during a carefully coordinated long-range ambush conducted in the early hours of Sunday, 21 December 2025.
The operation, which followed actionable intelligence on the movement of logistics supplies by suspected Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) elements, was executed along the axis between Sojiri and Kayamla villages in the North East theatre of operations.
In an official statement signed by the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the troops, alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and local hunters, deployed to the designated interception point on the night of 20 December, where they lay in wait in concealed and coordinated formations.
According to the statement, in the early hours of 21 December, suspected terrorists arrived at the location on bicycles while transporting assorted logistics materials, thereby confirming earlier intelligence reports. The troops immediately engaged the insurgents in a decisive ambush, effectively disrupting the movement.
The encounter resulted in the neutralisation of 17 suspected terrorists, while several others reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds. Items recovered at the scene included bicycles, assorted food items, drugs and medical supplies, detergents, clothing materials, bicycle tyres, torchlights, other sundry logistics items, as well as assorted weapons of different calibres with ammunition.
Following the successful engagement, the ambush team was reported to have safely withdrawn to its base without casualties. The military authorities confirmed that exploitation and follow-up operations are ongoing to further assess the area and deny insurgents freedom of movement.
Lieutenant Colonel Uba noted that the troops remain in high morale, with their fighting efficiency assessed as strong and unwavering. He added that the operation once again highlights the effectiveness of intelligence-driven, joint security efforts in degrading terrorist networks and disrupting their sustainment and logistics chains.
The Military High Command has commended the troops for their gallantry and professionalism, urging them to sustain the operational tempo in order to consolidate recent gains against insurgent elements in the region.
