Troops kill 25 ISWAP fighters, repel attack on Borno town
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Troops kill 25 ISWAP fighters, repel attack on Borno town
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Nigerian military has said troops killed 25 Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP fighters while repelling an attack on Kukawa town in Borno State.
The military said the terrorists attempted to infiltrate the town on the night of October 6 but were confronted by ground troops supported by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this in a statement on the ongoing military operations across the country between October 2 and 8, 2026.
According to the statement, the engagement lasted several hours and extended into the morning of October 7.
During the operation, troops recovered six AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, 797 rounds of PKT ammunition, three rocket-propelled grenade bombs, an anti-tank bomb and other equipment.
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The military said the operation was part of sustained efforts to weaken terrorist groups and disrupt their activities in the North-East.
In a separate operation in Yobe State, troops foiled an attempted terrorist attack on Abakurari village in Geidam Local Government Area on October 5, killing one terrorist and recovering an AK-47 rifle.
The statement added that troops operating in Kwatan Kuwait, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, recovered two gunboat guns mounted on a riverbank on October 6. An AK-47 rifle was also recovered in Mairari, Guzamala Local Government Area.
The military also reported the rescue of several abductees and people who escaped from terrorist captivity during operations in Borno State.
On October 4, troops rescued two female abductees around the Kuranabasa axis in Gwoza Local Government Area, alongside three escapees from Cameroon.
The three Cameroonian escapees were subsequently handed over to the country’s Rapid Intervention Battalion at Kirawa on October 5.
The military further disclosed that three abductees who had been held captive for seven years were rescued around Armuda in Gwoza Local Government Area on October 8. Three other abductees were also rescued in the Gava area of the same local government.
In another development, a terrorist, two women and their children surrendered to troops at Ngurusoye village in Bama Local Government Area on October 5.
Another terrorist reportedly surrendered in Monguno after escaping from a camp at Tumbunma village in the Lake Chad region.
The military said it had also intensified efforts to dismantle terrorist support networks, leading to the arrest of 12 suspected collaborators and smugglers transporting fish from the Niger Republic at Kanama in Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State on October 3.
A suspected logistics supplier was arrested at Mubi Market in Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa State on October 4.
Similarly, a high-profile terrorist was arrested in Magumeri town, Borno State, on October 5, while another suspected terrorist was apprehended along the Pulka-Firgi Road in Gwoza Local Government Area on October 6.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, commended troops for their efforts across the various operational theatres and urged them to remain vigilant, particularly as the festive season approaches.
He also called on residents, traditional rulers and community leaders to reject criminal collaboration and promptly report information that could assist security agencies.
