Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, have successfully repelled coordinated attacks by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province in Mandaragirau, Borno State, killing at least 38 insurgents in a fierce early morning battle.
The attack, which targeted a Forward Operating Base in the Mandaragirau area of Sector 2, occurred on Saturday, March 28, 2026, as terrorists launched what military sources described as a multi-front offensive. However, troops mounted a swift and coordinated counteroffensive, supported by air power, forcing the attackers into a chaotic retreat.
In a statement issued by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer at the Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI, the military confirmed that the troops decisively overpowered the insurgents during the encounter.
“Troops engaged the attackers with a well-coordinated offensive response, forcing the criminals to disorderly withdraw while the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support,” Uba said.
He added that follow-up operations along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes dealt further blows to the fleeing fighters. “Subsequent exploitation along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted further losses, eliminating 38 terrorists,” he stated.
Local sources in the area also reported additional casualties among the insurgents. According to residents, more than 30 bodies were sighted along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis extending into the notorious Timbuktu Triangle, a known stronghold for insurgent activity in the North-East.
Security sources confirmed that several weapons were recovered during the operation, although details of the cache have yet to be fully disclosed. The military has continued clearance operations in the area to ensure that remnants of the fleeing insurgents do not regroup.
