Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
MAIDUGURI, BORNO, NIGERIA — Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have successfully neutralised three suicide bombers and their escorts in a deliberate, intelligence‑driven operation conducted along the Guduf–Pulka axis in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, the Nigerian Army confirmed on Thursday night. The coordinated action prevented a likely terror attack and underscored sustained military pressure on Boko Haram and affiliated extremist networks in the northeast.
According to a statement by Lt. Col. Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force Northeast Operation Hadin Kai, the operation was initiated using covert intelligence and collaboration with local volunteer forces that enabled troops to track the would‑be attackers before they could carry out planned assaults on civilian targets.
The agency said the suicide bombers were dispatched from the Mandara Mountains by the Ali Ngulde‑led faction of Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal‑Jihad (JAS), a Boko Haram splinter group that remains active in rugged terrain along the Nigeria‑Cameroon border.
In the ensuing engagement, soldiers managed to neutralise the suicide bombers and inflict heavy casualties on their escorts, disrupting what security officials described as imminent threats to innocent civilians. The troops also recovered suicide vests and other improvised explosive device (IED) materials, which were safely secured, reducing the risk of further detonations.
The military’s assessment indicates that the surviving members of the group retreated into the Mandara Mountains under sustained pressure from ground forces, leaving behind four AK‑47 rifles and two motorcycles that were subsequently recovered by troops.
The success of the operation reflects intensified efforts by the Nigeria Army and allied security formations to leverage human intelligence, communication intercepts and collaboration with community volunteers to detect, track and thwart extremist activities before they can be executed. Such intelligence‑led strategies have become central to the ongoing counter‑insurgency campaign in the northeast, where militants have long used remote forest enclaves as staging grounds for attacks against civilians and security forces alike.
Officials say the operation forms part of a broader offensive under Operation Hadin Kai, which aims to degrade the capacity of Boko Haram, ISWAP and associated cells, strengthen protection of soft targets and restore confidence among communities in the theatre of operations.
The deployment of intelligence resources to preempt suicide bombings has become increasingly critical following past incidents in Borno and neighbouring states, where jihadist groups have utilised suicide tactics in high‑casualty attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives over the years.
Security analysts welcomed the latest development as evidence that sustained cooperation between troops and local volunteer outfits, combined with improved surveillance and field intelligence, can blunt extremist threats without exposing civilians to undue harm. However, they emphasised the need for continued vigilance as insurgents adapt their methods and seek new avenues to skirt military nets.
The operation also highlights ongoing challenges in the region, where maintaining public protection and countering violent extremism require not only kinetic action but enhanced community engagement, socio‑economic stabilization and comprehensive de‑radicalisation efforts.
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