Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have successfully repelled coordinated terrorist attacks on Buratai and Mallam Fatori in Borno State, killing several insurgents and recovering a cache of weapons.
This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations (Operation Hadin Kai), Captain Reuben Kovangiya, who confirmed that the terrorists met stiff resistance from Nigerian troops supported by aerial bombardments from the Air Component of OPHK.
According to Captain Kovangiya, the attacks, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, 5 June 2025, were decisively countered by the joint effort of ground troops and air support. The military operation led to the neutralisation of dozens of terrorists and the recovery of assorted arms and ammunition.
“In yet another coordinated effort by the ground forces and Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, scores of terrorists have been neutralised, with assorted arms and ammunition recovered, in a foiled attack on troops in Buratai, Biu Local Government Area, and Mallam Fatori, Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State,” the statement read.
He explained that in Buratai, the terrorists attempted to infiltrate troops’ defensive positions from multiple directions under the cover of darkness but were swiftly detected and engaged with overwhelming firepower.
“The troops, however, responded swiftly and decisively, engaging the attackers with heavy gunfire while close air support from the Air Component inflicted further damage on the insurgents,” he said.
Following the engagement, several terrorist corpses were discovered at the scene, alongside a substantial cache of arms, including AK-47 rifles, General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs), and other combat equipment.
The statement added that the surviving terrorists fled the scene but were pursued by the troops in a continued clearance operation, which further degraded the enemy’s strength and capabilities.
“The coordinated efforts of the ground forces and Air Component demonstrate the military’s commitment to denying terrorists freedom of action,” Captain Kovangiya stated, adding that mop-up operations are ongoing in the affected areas.
He reassured residents of the military’s resolve to maintain pressure on terrorist elements and restore lasting peace in the North-East region.
Operation Hadin Kai remains the Nigerian military’s flagship counterinsurgency effort aimed at dismantling the operational capacity of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) elements across the North-East.
