Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have neutralised 26 terrorists and destroyed 10 motorcycles after foiling an attempted attack on Kukawa town in Borno State.
According to an official statement signed by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), the operation followed a terrorist attack on troops of 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed at Kukawa at about 10:50 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2026.
The troops responded swiftly with direct and indirect fire, repelling the attack and forcing the terrorists to withdraw towards the Cross Kauwa axis.
Several terrorists were neutralised during the encounter, while others sustained gunshot wounds as they fled the area. Subsequent exploitation by ground troops led to the recovery of terrorist corpses.
As the fleeing terrorists attempted to escape on motorcycles towards Cross Kauwa, the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI was deployed to intercept their movement.
Despite challenging weather conditions, the Air Component engaged terrorists taking cover under trees, neutralising an estimated 10 fighters.
The statement said Multi-National Joint Task Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance assets subsequently tracked about 20 motorcycles conveying fleeing terrorists towards the Tunbuns/Kangarwa axis.
Based on the intelligence, the Air Component conducted a follow-up precision strike on the fleeing terrorists, neutralising an additional 15 and destroying 10 motorcycles.
During subsequent ground exploitation, troops recovered two motorcycles, neutralised another terrorist and recovered assorted ammunition and other items.
The coordinated ground and air operations effectively disrupted the terrorists’ attack, intercepted their withdrawal and further degraded their mobility and fighting capability.
The troops were subsequently replenished by air with essential combat enablers to sustain their operational effectiveness and maintain pressure on the terrorists.
Four personnel sustained injuries during the engagement, although none was life-threatening. The wounded personnel were evacuated by air for medical attention and were reported to be in stable condition.
Troops have since commenced reorganisation and extensive exploitation of the area, while battle damage assessment and further evaluation of the encounter are ongoing.
The Joint Task Force said the successful operation demonstrated the capacity of Operation HADIN KAI to integrate ground forces, air assets and intelligence capabilities in detecting, containing and responding decisively to terrorist threats.
It reaffirmed its resolve to sustain offensive operations and intelligence-led surveillance across the North East to degrade terrorist capabilities, deny them freedom of action and protect communities in the region.
