A joint operation by troops of Operation HADIN KAI and the Office of the National Security Adviser’s Tactical Team has dismantled a Boko Haram/ISWAP camp in Adamawa State, killing more than 21 terrorists and destroying logistics infrastructure.
The operation comes as security forces intensify efforts to locate and rescue abducted persons.
The operation targeted a terrorist enclave in the Kopre Mountain general area of Hong Local Government Area following credible intelligence on terrorist activity and was also linked to the wider search for victims abducted from Mussa community in May and Lassa school children taken in June.
A statement by the Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, said the newly inducted troops of 226 Battalion, recently deployed to Sector 4, participated in the operation alongside the ONSA Tactical Team.
The joint force conducted a stealth insertion into the rugged terrain and reached the terrorist camp in the early hours of 27 August, where troops engaged the terrorists in two separate encounters.
More than 21 terrorists were neutralised during the engagements, while several others reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds. The force subsequently took control of the area, dismantled the camp and destroyed associated logistics infrastructure.
The exploitation phase further yielded a significant blow to the group’s mobility and sustainment arrangements. Several motorcycles, bicycles and jerrycans containing Premium Motor Spirit, believed to have supported terrorist logistics, were destroyed at the location.
Troops also recovered AK-47 rifles, magazines and a substantial quantity of 7.62mm Special ammunition, further reducing the weapons and ammunition available to the terrorist formation operating in the area.
The operation demonstrates the growing emphasis on intelligence-led joint action in difficult terrain, combining intelligence exploitation with specialised tactical capabilities to reach terrorist enclaves that could otherwise provide concealment and operational depth.
It also carries a wider significance for ongoing search-and-rescue efforts. The assault was undertaken within sustained efforts to locate persons held by terrorist elements, making the disruption of the camp both an operational objective and part of the broader effort to trace and recover abducted civilians.
The Military High Command commended the ONSA Tactical Team and Operation HADIN KAI troops for their coordination, resilience and professionalism, describing the operation as *another demonstration of the security forces’ determination to pursue terrorist formations wherever they establish sanctuaries.”
The Command said the “Operation HADIN KAI will sustain intelligence-driven operations across the theatre, with particular emphasis on locating and rescuing abducted persons, dismantling terrorist strongholds, disrupting logistics and denying hostile elements freedom of action.”
“The intensified search-and-rescue effort remains central to the ongoing operations, with security forces maintaining pressure on terrorist networks while working towards the recovery of victims and restoration of security across the North-East,” the Command said.
