Troops of Operation Hadin Kai eliminated 60 terrorists during a coordinated land and air operation in Bita, Borno State, in the early hours of Friday.
A reliable military source confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri, stating that the terrorists were overpowered in a fierce gun battle that began at 1:09 a.m.
The joint offensive involved troops from the 26 Task Force Brigade of Sector 1 and the Nigerian Air Force, following an attempted attack by the terrorists on a military position. The operation was described as a major success in the ongoing counter-terrorism campaign in the North-east.
According to the military source, the Air Component deployed A-29 Super Tucano aircraft and the Dragon platform, conducting precision strikes that destroyed two enemy gun trucks and killed scores of insurgents.
“Over 60 terrorists were confirmed neutralised in the initial engagement, while ground forces commenced exploitation operations to pursue fleeing elements,” the source added.
Follow-up airstrikes continued, destroying additional gun trucks and forcing surviving terrorists to retreat into nearby forests. A senior military official, who spoke anonymously, hailed the operation as “one of the most decisive and devastating hits against ISWAP in recent months,” praising the effective coordination between air and ground forces.
NAN reported that Bita, situated in the Gwoza axis of southern Borno, has experienced heightened terrorist activity in recent weeks, prompting intensified military operations in the area.
