More than 80 suspected insurgents, including three senior field commanders, were killed after Nigerian troops repelled a coordinated pre-dawn assault on military positions in north-east Borno State, the army has said.
The attack targeted troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, at Mallam Fatori, close to the country’s border with Niger.
Military officials said the operation unfolded early on Wednesday after militants launched a simultaneous, five-pronged advance on Sector 3 positions.
In a statement, the task force’s media officer, Lt Col Sani Uba, said the attackers moved in large numbers on foot and deployed armed drones in an attempt to breach defences at the 68 Battalion location, particularly around Bravo Company’s frontage from the Duguri axis.
Troops, he said, had anticipated the assault and prepared an “offensive-defensive” response.
The ensuing firefight, supported by close air support from the air component of the Joint Task Force (North East) and allied air assets from Niger, forced the militants to retreat.
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According to the army, at least 80 fighters were killed during the engagement, while four soldiers sustained injuries and were stabilised, and a follow-up assessment of air strikes remains ongoing.
Weapons recovered from the area included dozens of assault rifles, machine guns, rocket launchers, thousands of rounds of ammunition, improvised explosive devices and components believed to be used for armed drones.
The military also confirmed the deaths of three commanders it described as central to planning the attack: Mallam Abdulrahman Gobara, Mallam Ba Yuram and Abou Ayyuba, adding that several other named fighters were also killed.
It was also revealed that the losses would greatly disrupt militant command structures in the area, adding that the outcome contradicted claims circulating online that troops had been overrun.
“Troops remain firmly in control of all locations,” the statement said, urging residents to remain calm and disregard unverified reports.
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