By Nkechi Eze
Troops of the Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have recorded another major victory in the ongoing counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency campaign in Borno State, rescuing 86 kidnapped victims, foiling a terrorists’ ambush, and arresting 29 logistics suppliers linked to Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
In an official statement signed by the Media Information Officer, OPHK, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, it was disclosed that troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion, under Sector 2 OPHK, launched a decisive counter-offensive on 9 November 2025 after encountering Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists at Dutse Kura, along the Buratai–Kamuya Road. The troops had been responding to credible intelligence indicating that insurgents were abducting civilians and seizing vehicles in the area.
On arrival, the troops swiftly engaged the terrorists in a fierce firefight, thwarting their attack and rescuing the abducted civilians. The soldiers pursued the fleeing insurgents towards Mangari, where a follow-up encounter ensued near one of the terrorists’ hideouts. Outgunned and overwhelmed by superior firepower, the insurgents fled in disarray, abandoning their captives and equipment.
A subsequent search and clearance of the area led to the rescue of 86 kidnapped victims, including men, women, and children, as well as the discovery and destruction of 11 makeshift terrorists’ structures. The troops also recovered one AK-47 rifle, five magazines loaded with 73 rounds of ammunition, four PKT ammunition belts, five civilian vehicles, five motorcycles, eight bicycles, and two logistics tricycles.
In a related development, troops deployed at Mangada intercepted and arrested 29 suspected terrorist logistics suppliers en route Chilaria with a large consignment of materials intended for insurgent use. Items recovered from the suspects included two pickup vans and a tricycle loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) about 1,000 litres of petrol in jerricans, four gallons of engine oil, two brand-new gun truck tyres, a huge cache of medical consumables, and large quantities of foodstuffs and provisions.
Lieutenant Colonel Uba confirmed that all operations were successfully conducted without any casualty on the part of the troops. The successful rescue and arrests, he said, underscored the renewed momentum of Operation HADIN KAI’s tactical and intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling terrorist logistics networks and denying insurgents freedom of movement and access to supplies across the North East.
The Military High Command commended the troops for their gallantry, resilience, and professionalism, urging them to sustain the operational tempo and maintain dominance over all terrorist enclaves in the theatre.
