Troops of the Operation HADIN KAI have repelled a late-night attack by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists on the 120 Task Force Battalion in Gonori, Sector 2 of Borno State.
Military authorities described the operation as a major success following a coordinated air and ground offensive that reportedly inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North East), Sani Uba.
According to the statement, the attack began late on Saturday and continued into the early hours of Sunday when terrorists advancing from the Mandunari axis attempted to infiltrate the military formation.
The military said troops attached to an ambush team detected the insurgents early and launched a coordinated spoiling attack that forced the terrorists into a deadly engagement zone.
Air assets from the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI and the Nigerian Army Aviation were subsequently deployed to support ground troops in a synchronised assault.
The statement noted that the combined operation overwhelmed the fleeing insurgents and prevented any successful breach of the military camp.
Military authorities also confirmed that no equipment was lost during the encounter.
Following the operation, troops reportedly conducted exploitation of the surrounding area where extensive blood stains, body parts and other signs of heavy terrorist casualties were discovered.
Several bodies of suspected insurgents were also recovered around the vicinity.
Recovered items from the scene included one General Purpose Machine Gun, two PKT machine guns, five AK-47 rifles, ammunition belts and other personal items believed to belong to the attackers.
The military further disclosed that injured soldiers were responding to treatment, while follow-up operations had commenced to track fleeing terrorists and consolidate gains recorded during the operation.
Authorities described the latest operation as evidence of the sustained operational strength of troops battling insurgency in the North-East and the continued pressure being mounted on terrorist groups in the region.
