In a major offensive under Desert Sanity V, troops of the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai have neutralized two senior Boko Haram commanders, Basulhu and Ubaida, along with eight other insurgents in the Sambisa Forest and Mandara Mountains.
Lt. Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of the Theatre Command, said the operation unfolded in the early hours of Thursday after the terrorists attempted to plant Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along key routes.
“Troops under Operation Hadin Kai delivered a decisive blow to Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists along the Sambisa and Mandara axis. At around 0930 hours, insurgents staged an ambush using roadside IEDs and heavy gunfire. Our forces responded with superior firepower, neutralizing 10 terrorists, including two senior commanders,” the statement read.
The troops recovered a range of insurgent equipment, including 3 AK-47 rifles, a pump-action rifle, 5 motorcycles, 12 AK-47 magazines, 2 hand grenades, a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) charger, detonation cords, radios, and IED accessories.
In a separate engagement near Malkube, Sector 1 forces neutralized 2 terrorists, seized additional weapons and communication devices, and reported no casualties among personnel.
Another unit successfully thwarted an attempted infiltration from Cameroon near Galakura, forcing insurgents to retreat in disarray and seizing further equipment, including two motorcycles, denying the terrorists freedom of movement in the area.
