In the northeastern Nigerian towns of Bitta in Borno State and Buni Yadi in Yobe State, Nigerian soldiers repelled two coordinated attacks by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) forces, killing at least 48 insurgents and seizing 52 firearms. The assaults, which began late Thursday night and continued into the early hours of Friday, were stopped by troops from the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai.
The joint task force said the forces in Bitta faced an attempted attack late Thursday, which was thwarted after a coordinated response that included air support. In Buni Yadi, the insurgents entered the area from Thursday night through the early morning, prompting a counter‑offensive by the soldiers.
Mohammed Goni, spokesman for the mission, confirmed that the operations were part of Operation Hadin Kai, a campaign aimed at degrading terrorist groups’ operational capabilities in the region. The Nigerian military announced the operation as a continuation of its efforts to weaken insurgent recruitment, propaganda, and coordination.
Reports indicate that aerial assets were deployed during the engagements, helping ground troops repel the attacks and protect the military positions on the outskirts of the two towns.
During the counter‑offensive in Buni Yadi, one soldier was killed and two others wounded, according to the military’s statement. The troops also recovered 52 small arms from the insurgent fighters, adding to the material reduction of the ISWAP group.
ISWAP’s collaboration with Boko Haram has been a longstanding threat in northeastern Nigeria, with both groups attempting to establish an Islamist state. The group’s attacks have also spread to neighboring countries in the Lake Chad Basin, prompting regional security concerns.
Military officials said the joint task force would sustain operations against terrorist groups in the area, seeking to further degrade their ability to conduct future attacks. The seizure of firearms and the killing of insurgents are part of a broader campaign to curb the operational reach of Boko Haram‑linked extremists in the region.
Local residents in Bitta and Buni Yadi reported the clashes by daybreak, and the area remains monitored by Nigerian forces as the broader campaign against ISWAP and Boko Haram continues to unfold across the northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, and adjacent regions.
These actions mark a continuation of ongoing military efforts to stabilize northeastern Nigeria amid ongoing insurgent activity, with the joint task force emphasizing that it will remain vigilant against any further attempts by ISWAP or allied groups.
