Troops of the Joint Task Force under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have killed scores of terrorists in coordinated counter-insurgency operations across Adamawa and Borno States, dealing a significant blow to insurgent activities in the North-East.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Acting Media Information Officer of the task force, Lieutenant Solomon Atokolo, said the successes followed the foiling of multiple coordinated terrorist attacks in the region.
According to him, troops inflicted heavy casualties on fleeing terrorists during follow-up operations after repelling the assaults.
“In the early hours of 16 January 2026, terrorists attempted to overrun a patrol base at Sabon Gari in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State under Sector 4 OPHK,” Atokolo said in a statement.
He explained that alert troops swiftly engaged the attackers, with reinforcements drawn from Gulak and the Battalion Quick Reaction Force.
“The terrorists were successfully repelled without any casualty to own troops and equipment, forcing them to abandon the attack,” the statement added.
Atokolo said the general area was subsequently cleared and scanned for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and booby traps to ensure the safety of civilians and personnel.
Meanwhile, on the same day, terrorists launched a large-scale, multi-directional attack on the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Azir in Borno State.
He said the attackers initially attempted to breach part of the defensive perimeter but were met with “overwhelming and sustained firepower” from troops, supported by the Air Component and other Nigerian Army aerial platforms, forcing the terrorists to retreat.
During the engagement, Atokolo noted that “terrorists’ Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) fire affected troop-carrying vehicles and the CCTV control room, which were partially gutted by fire, but despite this, the troops maintained firm control of the situation.”
Several weapons and ammunition were recovered from the fleeing terrorists, including a 60mm mortar tube, mortar bombs, locally fabricated explosives, heavy machine gun rounds and hundreds of rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition.
