Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have eliminated a notorious commander of the Islamic State of West Africa Province, Malam Jidda, along with numerous fighters, in a coordinated offensive spanning Gujba Local Government Area in Yobe State and the Timbuktu Triangle in Borno.
The announcement was made on Tuesday in Maiduguri through a statement by Capt. Reuben Kovangiya, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters Theatre Command.
According to the statement, the joint air and ground assault commenced on June 9 in the Ngazalgana axis of Gujba LGA, bolstered by close air support from OPHK’s Air Component.
“Malam Jidda, who was identified as the Ameer of Ngorgore and Malumti villages, met his end during a fierce engagement with troops, who overpowered the terrorists with superior firepower,” the statement said.
Kovangiya disclosed that while some insurgents fled with gunshot wounds, others were taken out in a follow-up snap ambush operation carried out by troops in the Timbuktu Triangle.
“In the course of continued exploitation in the Mallamfatori general area of Abadam LGA, where recent offensives had been recorded, troops discovered more bodies of neutralised terrorists and recovered array of arms and equipment,” the statement added.
Recovered items from the series of operations included AK-47 rifles, motorcycles, rocket-propelled gun tubes, magazines, a substantial cache of ammunition, hand grenades, hand-held radios, and other logistical supplies.
Kovangiya highlighted that the intensified operations underscore the growing success of OPHK’s counter-insurgency campaign, with precision airstrikes enhancing troop efforts on the ground.
He further assured the public of the Theatre Command’s unwavering commitment to the total defeat of Boko Haram and ISWAP elements and the eventual restoration of peace and stability in Nigeria’s North-East region.