Troops crush ISWAP attack on FOB Mandaragirau, neutralise 38 terrorists
Army
Abdullateef Fowewe
Troops of Operation HADIN KAI dealt a decisive blow to ISWAP terrorists early Saturday, repelling a raid on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mandaragirau in Sector 2 with no fatalities on their side.
Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer for Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, detailed the clash in a statement, “Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) in the early hours of Saturday, 28 March 2026 decisively defeated a halfhearted attack by ISWAP terrorists on FOB Mandaragirau in Sector 2.
“The troops engaged the attackers with well-coordinated ambushes and a deliberate offensive-defensive response that forced them into a disorderly withdrawal while the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support to the troops and ISR feedbacks to enhance targeted kinetic responses.”
Follow-up operations along escape routes amplified the damage. Uba reported, “A total of about 38 terrorists were neutralized with 8 bodies recovered so far within the immediate engagement area and human intelligence from locals confirming over 30 additional terrorists’ bodies and weapons strewn along Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis into the Timbuktu Triangle. This was evidenced by blood trails and abandoned equipment.”
Troops seized 7 AK-47 rifles, 8 magazines, 4 RPG bombs, and assorted ammunition. One MRAP vehicle sustained RPG damage, but injured personnel were quickly stabilised.
The victory sparked celebrations in local communities, underscoring OPHK’s control.
Uba added, “Further exploitation operations are ongoing along the Garin Mallum – Garin Gajere axis at the fringes of the Timbuktu Triangle to recover the littered terrorists’ corpses and consolidate gains.”
