Troops repel ISWAP/Boko Haram attack on Nigeria–Cameroon border, neutralise militants

Abdullateef Fowewe

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have repelled an attempted attack by suspected ISWAP/Boko Haram fighters at the Kirawa axis on the Nigeria–Cameroon border, the military said Saturday.

“Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), under Operation DESERT SANITY and SIEGE OPERATIONS, have successfully thwarted an attempted attack by suspected ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists on troops’ location in the Kirawa axis of Sector 1 OPHK Area of Responsibility in the early hours of 22 May 2026,” Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer at OPHK headquarters, said in a statement.

Uba said a group of suspected terrorists tried to infiltrate positions held by 153 Task Force Battalion and associated forces but were detected and met with “overwhelming firepower from alert troops and CJTF, who held their ground and contained the assault.”

He added that the attackers were forced to withdraw “in confusion towards the Cameroon axis, sustaining heavy casualties during the engagement.”

Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, supported by air component platforms and partner forces, provided coordinated backing during the operation, the statement said.

After the clash, troops confirmed the neutralisation of 12 militants, while several others were seen retreating with gunshot wounds — evidence by blood trails along their withdrawal routes.

Recovered weapons and equipment included AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade systems, ammunition and a PKT machine gun, the JTF said, noting these seizures “further degrade the terrorists’ combat capability in the area.”

Troops of OPHK, working with the Civilian Joint Task Force, have maintained heightened vigilance in the area while exploitation operations continue to track fleeing elements and recover additional materiel.

“The Joint Task Force reassures the public of its unwavering commitment to sustaining operational pressure on terrorist elements until they are completely neutralised across the theatre,” the statement added.

The Military High Command commended the troops for their “gallantry, utmost professionalism, and swift response,” describing the action as the third successful response by forces that week and urging continued operational momentum in the interest of national security.