Troops fight off ISWAP attack, kill 38 insurgents in Borno

Nigerian troops have inflicted one of their heaviest single-day blows on ISWAP in recent months, killing approximately 38 terrorists and recovering a cache of weapons after decisively repelling a multi-front attack on a military forward operating base in Borno State in the early hours of Saturday.

Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, defeated a coordinated attack by ISWAP terrorists on Forward Operating Base Mandaragirau in Sector 2, located in the Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, in the early hours of Saturday, March 28, 2026.

The Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, described the assault as a “half-hearted attack” that the terrorists had clearly underestimated, noting that troops responded with well-coordinated ambushes and a deliberate offensive-defensive strategy that forced the attackers into a disorderly retreat.

Air power proved decisive in the outcome. The Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance feedback to enhance targeted kinetic responses, while subsequent exploitation operations along the terrorists’ withdrawal routes inflicted further heavy losses.

A total of approximately 38 terrorists were neutralised, with eight bodies recovered within the immediate engagement area. Human intelligence from local residents confirmed over 30 additional bodies and weapons strewn along the Garin Mallum–Garin Gajere axis leading into the Timbuktu Triangle.

The weapons haul underscores the scale of the repelled assault. Troops recovered seven AK-47 rifles, eight magazines, four RPG bombs, and assorted ammunition from the scene. Blood trails and scattered equipment along the withdrawal routes provided further evidence of the heavy losses sustained by the fleeing insurgents.

No fatalities were recorded among the troops, although one Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle was hit by RPG fire during the engagement, with injured personnel stabilised at the scene.

The Military High Command commended the troops for their gallantry and resilience, urging them to sustain the operational tempo in the North-East. Lieutenant Colonel Uba said the successful defence had boosted the morale of local communities and underscored the sustained dominance of troops in denying terrorists freedom of action across the region. Further exploitation operations are ongoing to recover more equipment and consolidate gains.

Saturday’s engagement is the latest in a series of significant ISWAP setbacks in Borno State in recent weeks. The army’s Theatre Command has been under intense pressure following a wave of attacks on military bases across the North-East earlier this month — making the successful repulsion of the Mandaragirau assault and the scale of the insurgent losses a significant morale boost for troops and civilian communities operating in one of Nigeria’s most volatile security theatres.