Soldiers, CJTF Lost Their Lives as Troops Stopped ISWAP Attack in Borno

According to the Nigerian Army, several troops and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) lost their lives defending Mandaragirau in Borno state from a fierce ISWAP attack.

Sani Uba, the media information officer for the Joint Task Force (north-east) headquarters, said in a statement that Nigeria troops stopped coordinated terrorist strikes in Pulka and Mandaragirau late Saturday.

He claimed that the terrorists suffered significant casualties at the hands of the military and further explained how they used motorbikes and gun trucks to mount a multifaceted offensive against the terrorists during the Mandaragirau operation.

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According to Uba, the soldiers saw the move coming and engaged the terrorists in a protracted gunfight. A few soldiers were wounded, he continued, while some CJTF members and soldiers died in the course of the battle.

“Troops had tactically emplaced combat teams that decisively engaged the terrorists. Interestingly, the attack was successfully thwarted after a fierce exchange without any breach to the defence of the location,” he said.“Regrettably, some gallant personnel and Civilian Joint Task Force members paid the supreme price in the defence of their location, while few soldiers sustained injuries and were immediately evacuated by Air Component of OPHK and the Nigerian Army Aviation platforms.”

In another assault on Pulka’s Sector 1, Uba said a large group of suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists advanced from the Sambisa Forest axis. He said the troops overpowered the terrorists, compelling the attackers to flee towards Sambisa Forest.

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Uba said no soldiers were killed in Pulka, adding that intelligence confirmed severe enemy losses, including the death of Abou Aisha, a senior commander on the terrorists side.

The military high command praised the troops’ bravery, professionalism, and resilience, viewing the failed assaults as evidence of insurgents’ growing desperation under sustained pressure from Operation Hadin Kai.