OPERATION HADIN KAI TROOPS DECIMATE TERRORISTS IN DEVASTATING AIR-LAND ONSLAUGHT, DEFEAT ISWAP ATTEMPT ON GONORI

Khadijat Yusuf

Abuja

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) have dealt a crushing blow to ISWAP terrorists, decisively defeating a night attack on 120 Task Force Battalion Gonori under Sector 2 in the late hours of Saturday, 9 May 2026 up till the early morning of Sunday 10 May 2026. 

The terrorists, advancing from the Mandunari axis at around midnight were detected early by an ambush team. Troops immediately executed a well-coordinated spoiling attack which caught the terrorists in a devastating killing zone. 

No part of the camp was breached and no equipment was lost. Platforms from the Air Component of OPHK and the Nigerian Army Aviation earlier scrambled subsequently completed a well synchronised air-land assault that decimated the retreating insurgents and sealed the totality of their defeat.

Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI who disclosed this said exploitation of the general area revealed extensive blood trails, body parts and battle damage consistent with scores of terrorist casualties, in addition to terrorist corpses recovered within the immediate vicinity. 

Items recovered include one x General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), 2 x PKT, 5 x AK-47 rifles, several belts of assorted ammunition, and other personal effects, further confirming the scale of the failed assault. 

Wounded soldiers are stable and receiving appropriate medical attention. Exploitation operations are still ongoing within the general area to consolidate gains and track fleeing terrorists. This latest failed attack reinforces the unrelenting operational dominance of OPHK and the futility of terrorist aggression against well-fortified and battle-ready troops across the Theatre.