Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) repelled a coordinated pre-dawn assault by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on the 68 Battalion’s position in Malam Fatori, Abadam Local Government Area, Borno State, on Wednesday, killing at least 75 insurgents, the Nigerian Army announced on X.
The attack began at approximately 12:50 a.m. local time. Fighters advanced on foot from the Duguri axis toward the Bravo Company frontage, deploying armed drones in an attempt to breach the perimeter, according to a defense intelligence source.
Rather than hold a conventional defensive line, military commanders pre-positioned ground forces in concealed locations and placed Nigerian Air Force (NAF) assets on standby, locked onto confirmed coordinates.
“Once the terrorists moved into the trap, the airstrikes were activated with precision accuracy on their positions,” the defense intelligence source said. “We were fully aware of their movement and communication patterns. This operation led them straight into their Waterloo.”
Three high-profile ISWAP commanders were killed in the operation: Mallam Abdulrahman Gobara, Mallam Ba Yuram, and Abou Ayyuba. Hybrid Forces personnel at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Kangar confirmed their identities, along with several other key fighters including Abu Aisha and Abu Ali, following the battlefield mop-up.
Four precision air interdiction strikes degraded insurgent withdrawal routes toward the Arege axis. Allied air assets from the Niger Republic conducted additional strikes on fleeing fighters, though Niamey has not confirmed its participation. Four Nigerian soldiers sustained minor injuries, a military source confirmed.
Recovered battlefield materiel included AK-47 rifles, PKM machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade rounds, hand grenades, mortar bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), handheld communication radios, and documents listing suspected operative contacts.
The operation came one day after triple suicide bombings in Maiduguri on March 17 killed at least 23 people and injured 108, Borno State police and Nigerian Army officials said. The blasts struck the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital entrance and two local markets. No group has claimed responsibility.
