…the troops dealt a heavy blow to the terrorists on January 22, 2026.
MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), under Operation DESERT SANITY V, have killed two high-ranking Boko Haram/ISWAP commanders and eight other fighters during coordinated operations in the Sambisa Forest and Mandara Mountains near the Cameroon border.
The latest success came barely 24 hours after OPHK forces raided the Timbuktu Triangle, a notorious terrorist enclave spanning Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
In a statement issued late yesterday, the Information Manager of the Joint Task Force North East, OPHK, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said the troops dealt a heavy blow to the terrorists on January 22, 2026. He explained that at about 9:30 a.m., insurgents launched a planned ambush using roadside improvised explosive devices and sustained gunfire, but troops of Sector 1 countered the attack with superior firepower.
According to him, ten terrorists were neutralised in the encounter, including two senior commanders identified as Basulhu and Ubaida.
Lt. Col. Uba said subsequent exploitation of the area led to the recovery of three AK-47 rifles, one pump-action rifle, five motorcycles, two hand grenades, two Baofeng radios, 12 AK-47 magazines, an RPG charger, detonation cords, batteries, bandoliers, camel bags, iron bars and other IED-making materials.
He added that on another axis, Sector 1 troops engaged terrorists around the Malkube area, killing two more insurgents and recovering additional weapons, ammunition and communication gadgets, without recording any casualty among the troops.
Earlier, another battle group foiled an attempt by Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters to infiltrate Nigerian territory from Cameroon near Galakura, forcing the insurgents to retreat. Troops later recovered two motorcycles and other items abandoned by the fleeing terrorists.
In a related operation, OPHK forces overran ISWAP hideouts in the Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa Forest, capturing the mosque of Abu Ayuba and destroying his residence. Abu Ayuba, the ISWAP Wali of the Timbuktu Triangle, reportedly escaped during the raid. Military sources said the mosque had been used as a major planning centre for ISWAP activities.
The military confirmed that the hunt for remaining ISWAP leaders has been intensified, with sustained operations underway to dismantle terrorist networks and deny them freedom of action across the North East.
