Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have successfully repelled an attempted attack by suspected ISWAP terrorists on the 120 Task Force Battalion in Gonori, under Sector 2, during a coordinated overnight operation between Saturday and Sunday.
In a statement Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI Lieut. Col. Sani Uba said the terrorists launched the assault from the Mandunari axis around midnight on 9 May 2026 but were detected early by an ambush team positioned ahead of the battleground.
The troops reportedly responded with a coordinated spoiling attack that forced the insurgents into what military sources described as a “devastating killing zone,” preventing any breach of the military formation.
The military stated that no equipment was lost during the encounter, while air assets from the Air Component of OPHK and the Nigerian Army Aviation were subsequently deployed in support operations against the fleeing insurgents.
The combined air and ground assault was said to have inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists, with exploitation operations revealing extensive blood trails, body parts and multiple corpses within the surrounding area.
Recovered items from the scene included one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), two PKT machine guns, five AK-47 rifles, belts of assorted ammunition and other personal effects believed to belong to the insurgents.
Military authorities also confirmed that some soldiers sustained injuries during the operation but are currently stable and receiving medical treatment.
Troops have continued exploitation and clearance operations across the general area to track down fleeing terrorists and consolidate operational gains.
The military described the failed assault as further evidence of the operational dominance of Operation HADIN KAI forces across the North-East theatre and reiterated its commitment to sustaining pressure against terrorist groups in the region.
