The terrorists launched a coordinated multi-front attack on the community at about 3 a.m., aiming to breach defensive positions and overwhelm deployed troops.
Troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade, Sector 4 Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), early Saturday repelled a large-scale assault by more than 300 ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists on Chibok, Borno State, while the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) neutralised many of the fleeing fighters during follow-up airstrikes.
A security source told the platform Zagazola Makama, “The troops were alert and professionally contained the attack. There was no casualty on our side, and no equipment was affected.”
After the terrorists withdrew, ground forces requested air support, prompting NAF combat aircraft to strike along the retreat route.
“The NAF jet delivered precise and devastating strikes along the terrorists’ escape route, obliterating a significant number of the fighters and disrupting their movement,” the source added.
According to the sources, four major airstrikes were carried out along the terrorists’ withdrawal path toward the Timbuktu Triangle, guided by real-time intelligence from troops on the ground.
The first wave of strikes targeted a regrouping cluster, achieving significant degradation of the hostile elements, while subsequent strikes pursued fighters dispersing into forested terrain.
In addition, an unmanned aerial platform maintained continuous surveillance and engaged retreating fighters.
“Its strikes further eliminated retreating fighters and disrupted their movement pattern,” the sources noted, emphasising that the combined ground and air effort inflicted substantial losses, thwarting any chance of the terrorists reorganising after the failed offensive.
This development comes amid a resurgence of terrorism and banditry in different parts of the country.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, recently declared a state of emergency on security across the nation.
