Borno State, Scores of Boko Haram fighters were killed on Monday when troops of the North East Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) crushed a deadly Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ambush along the Maiduguri-Kareto-Damasak federal highway. The failed attack comes amid renewed tensions in the region following last weekend’s assault on Kirawa in Borno State.
Military sources confirmed that poor telecommunications in the area delayed news of the incident. According to one security insider, insurgents detonated an IED targeting 145 Battalion troops from Sector 3, then opened direct fire in an attempt to overrun the convoy. The soldiers swiftly executed anti-ambush maneuvers, outflanking the attackers and killing many on the spot.
Recovered from the scene were a PKT automatic anti-aircraft gun, an AK-47 rifle with four loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, two hand grenades, a motorcycle, and other items including blankets, wires, and communication equipment.
In a separate offensive, 233 Battalion troops and Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) operatives engaged Boko Haram fighters at Sassawa village in Yobe State, killing two insurgents and seizing additional weapons and ammunition.
Theatre Commander Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar praised the troops for their “aggressive posture” and vowed to sustain the pressure on the terrorists until they lose the ability to operate freely.
Meanwhile, the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Timta, has insisted that last Saturday’s terrorist attack targeted Kirawa in Borno, not Cameroon’s Kerawa as earlier clarified by military authorities. He said homes and properties were burned, forcing residents to flee across the border into Cameroon.
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“I have been in contact with my people who are victims. Houses were destroyed, including that of a respected traditional ruler, and operational vehicles belonging to troops were damaged,” the Emir stated.
The military maintains that Cameroonian troops from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) were the ones attacked in the cross-border incident, not Nigerian forces. However, conflicting accounts persist as residents and local leaders point to visible destruction within Nigerian territory.
The Maiduguri-Kareto-Damasak route remains a volatile flashpoint in the fight against Boko Haram and ISWAP, with security forces intensifying patrols to safeguard both civilian and military movement.
