Nigerian troops have repelled an attack by suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists on Cross Kauwa community in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State after a fierce gun battle that lasted for several hours.
The attack reportedly began at about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and continued until around midnight, according to local sources.
A resident told The News Chronicle that the insurgents, who arrived in large numbers with sophisticated weapons, infiltrated the community through a narrow route before setting several houses ablaze.
The source said the terrorists were searching for cholera treatment supplies believed to have been stored in the community following a recent cholera outbreak.
“They went straight to a house where they believed the cholera medicines were stored. When they could not find the drugs, they set the house on fire before leaving,” the resident said.
A senior military source confirmed that troops of Operation Hadin Kai swiftly engaged the attackers in a fierce exchange of gunfire, forcing them to retreat.
According to the source, the terrorists came under heavy fire and fled with the bodies of some of their fighters, while troops launched a follow-up exploitation operation in the area.
During the operation, soldiers recovered items abandoned by the fleeing insurgents. However, details of the recovered items were not immediately disclosed.
The latest attack comes amid reports that a recent cholera outbreak in the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist enclave, claimed the lives of at least nine insurgents and affected many others.
Military sources said sustained offensives by Operation Hadin Kai have continued to disrupt terrorist logistics networks, significantly limiting the operational capabilities of Boko Haram/ISWAP across the North-East.
As of the time of filing this report, military authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
