Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have recovered the bodies of five Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists along a withdrawal route in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to an official statement signed by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, the bodies were recovered on Thursday, September 3, 2026, during ongoing exploitation operations following a failed terrorist attack on troops in the area on August 29.
The troops, while conducting exploitation operations northeast of Kukawa towards the Jemmu–Alagarno axis, discovered the decomposing bodies of the five terrorists.
The statement said the terrorists were believed to have sustained fatal injuries from air strikes conducted by Nigerian Air Force platforms supporting Operation HADIN KAI during the earlier engagement.
The recovery, it said, provided further evidence of the losses suffered by the terrorists during the failed attack and their subsequent withdrawal from the area.
According to the statement, the terrorists appeared to have abandoned their dead and wounded colleagues while fleeing under pressure from ground troops and supporting air operations.
During a further search of the area, the troops recovered an AK-47 rifle, solar panel, camouflage shuttle bag, prayer mat, empty ammunition link and raincoat, among other items.
The recovered bodies were subsequently buried in situ, while the troops continued to exploit the general area before safely returning to base.
The latest recovery brings to nine the number of additional terrorist bodies recovered during exploitation operations following the failed attack on Kukawa, alongside other equipment and personal effects earlier recovered along the terrorists’ withdrawal route.
The Joint Task Force said Operation HADIN KAI troops remained vigilant and determined to sustain pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, deny them freedom of action and prevent them from regrouping or threatening communities across the North East.
It commended the troops for their resilience and fighting spirit, assuring residents that military operations would continue to consolidate recent gains and create an increasingly secure environment for socio-economic activities across the region.
