Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, have recovered the bodies of five Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and an AK-47 rifle during ongoing exploitation operations in Kukawa local government council of Borno State.
The recovery, according to the acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Captain Mohammed Goni, was made on Thursday, September 3, 2026, following a failed terrorist attack on troops in the area on August 29.
Goni said the troops discovered the decomposing bodies while conducting exploitation operations northeast of Kukawa towards the Jemmu–Alagarno axis.
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He explained that the terrorists were believed to have sustained fatal injuries from air strikes conducted by Nigerian Air Force platforms supporting Operation HADIN KAI during the earlier engagement.
According to him, the discovery provides further evidence of the heavy losses suffered by the terrorists during the failed attack and their subsequent withdrawal from the area.
“The terrorists had apparently abandoned their dead and wounded colleagues while fleeing under pressure from troops and supporting air operations,” he said.
During further searches of the area, troops also recovered an AK-47 rifle, solar panel, camouflage shuttle bag, prayer mat, empty ammunition link and raincoat, among other items.
The recovered bodies were buried in situ, while troops continued to exploit the general area before safely returning to base.
The latest recovery brings to nine the number of additional terrorist bodies recovered during exploitation operations following the failed attack in Kukawa.
The military said other equipment and personal effects had also been recovered along the terrorists’ withdrawal route.
Operation HADIN KAI troops, it added, remain committed to sustaining pressure on Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists, denying them freedom of action and preventing them from regrouping or threatening communities across the North-East.
The Joint Task Force commended the troops for their resilience and fighting spirit, assuring residents that military operations would continue to consolidate recent gains and create a safer environment for socio-economic activities in the region.
