Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), have foiled a terrorist attack on Kukawa town in Borno State, killing at least 26 terrorists and destroying 10 motorcycles used by the fleeing fighters.
The Acting Media Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday evening.
According to Goni, Boko Haram terrorists attacked troops of the 101 Special Forces Battalion deployed in Kukawa at about 10:50 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2026.
He said the troops responded with direct and indirect fire, successfully repelling the attack and forcing the terrorists to withdraw towards the Cross Kauwa axis.
“During the fierce engagement, several terrorists were neutralised, while others were observed to have sustained gunshot wounds as they fled the area,” the statement said.
Ground troops subsequently recovered the corpses of some of the terrorists, confirming casualties inflicted during the encounter.
As the terrorists attempted to escape on motorcycles towards Cross Kauwa, the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI was deployed to intercept them.
Despite difficult weather conditions, the air component engaged terrorists taking cover under trees and neutralised an estimated 10 fighters.
Meanwhile, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets of the Multi-National Joint Task Force tracked about 20 motorcycles carrying fleeing terrorists towards the Tunbuns/Kangarwa axis.
The information enabled the Air Component to conduct a follow-up precision strike, killing an additional 15 terrorists and destroying 10 motorcycles.
During subsequent ground exploitation, troops recovered two motorcycles, killed another terrorist and recovered assorted ammunition and other items.
The military said the coordinated ground and air operation disrupted the attack, prevented the terrorists from regrouping and significantly weakened their mobility and fighting capability.
Four military personnel sustained injuries during the engagement, although none was life-threatening. The wounded troops were evacuated by air for medical treatment and are reportedly in stable condition.
Troops have since commenced reorganisation and extensive exploitation of the area, while battle damage assessment and further evaluation of the operation continue.
Goni said the successful defence of Kukawa demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating ground forces, air assets and intelligence capabilities in counter-terrorism operations.
He added that Operation HADIN KAI would continue its offensive operations and intelligence-led surveillance to degrade terrorist capabilities, restrict their freedom of movement and protect communities across Nigeria’s North-East.
