The surrendered terrorists
Troops of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, have successfully repelled coordinated terrorist attacks on two Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Borno State, while sustained military operations also forced a commander of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) and another terrorist to surrender with weapons.
The spokesman for Joint Task Force North-East, Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, saying the operations took place on September 17, 2026, in parts of Borno State.
According to him, terrorists first attempted to attack the Forward Operating Base at Gajiram in Nganzai Local Government Area.
He said troops detected the movement of the insurgents early through intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support provided by the Multinational Joint Task Force.
Captain Goni said the troops immediately took defensive positions while the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided close air support, forcing the terrorists to abandon the attack and retreat.
He added that later the same night, suspected ISWAP fighters launched another attack on the Forward Operating Base at Mairari in Guzamala Local Government Area.
The military spokesman said the troops mounted a strong resistance with support from the Air Component, preventing the terrorists from overrunning the base.
According to him, a follow-up search of the area led to the recovery of four terrorists’ bodies, AK-47 rifles, magazines, ammunition, rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) bombs and a camcorder.
He said some soldiers sustained injuries during the encounter but were stabilised before being airlifted to hospital for further treatment.
Captain Goni also disclosed that continued military pressure on terrorist groups led to the surrender of two JAS members, including a Qa’id (commander), who handed themselves over with weapons.
He noted that the successful defence of the military bases, the recovery of weapons and the surrender of the terrorist commander demonstrate the impact of sustained military operations against insurgent groups in the North-East.
Operation HADIN KAI has intensified both ground and air offensives against Boko Haram and ISWAP in recent months. The military says the sustained operations have continued to weaken terrorist strongholds, leading to the elimination of fighters, recovery of weapons and the surrender of several insurgents across the North-East.
