Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation HADIN KAI have successfully repelled coordinated attacks by suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on military positions in the Pulka and Mandaragirau communities of Borno State. The engagements, which took place late on 14 February 2026, resulted in significant losses for the insurgents, including the death of a senior militant commander, while highlighting the intensity of the ongoing insurgency in northeast Nigeria.
According to a statement issued by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North East), the assaults were initiated late Saturday night when large groups of insurgents sought to overrun defensive positions held by troops in both communities. In Pulka, troops assigned to Sector 1 came under heavy fire from a large contingent of suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters advancing from the dense Sambisa Forest axis, a long‑established stronghold and staging area for extremist operations. Despite being briefly pushed back and suffering damage to some combat equipment and accommodation facilities, the soldiers maintained disciplined defensive fire and called in reinforcements from the 26 Brigade. With overwhelming firepower, they forced the attackers to retreat in disarray back toward the forest.
Military sources reported that credible battlefield intelligence indicated heavy casualties among the terrorists, including a senior commander known as Abou Aisha, who sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the neck during the firefight. Significant quantities of weapons and equipment were also lost by the insurgents in the engagement, underscoring the failure of the offensive and the preparedness of the defending troops. No Nigerian soldiers were reported killed in the Pulka engagement, though some combat infrastructure was damaged in the initial stages of the assault.
In the Mandaragirau sector, located further south in the Gwoza Local Government Area, a separate coordinated offensive was launched by gunmen mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles. The attackers appeared intent on exploiting a multi‑pronged approach to breach military defences. However, troops of Sector 2, having anticipated such a move, had tactically emplaced combat teams in depth. This preparation allowed them to meet the assault with heavy resistance in a prolonged and intense exchange of gunfire that successfully prevented any breach of defensive positions.
While the Mandaragirau defence held, the military confirmed that several members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), a network of local volunteers who support formal security operations, as well as some soldiers, lost their lives in the fighting. Additional service personnel and CJTF members sustained injuries and were evacuated swiftly by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI and Nigerian Army aviation platforms for medical treatment. The military described their sacrifice as embodying “the highest traditions of service, courage, and commitment to the defence of Nigeria.”
Following the engagements, follow‑up operations in the area uncovered blood trails, shallow graves, and abandoned equipment along routes such as the Kimba axis, indicating the intensity of the clashes and the likelihood that additional insurgent casualties were sustained. Eyewitness accounts and military patrols suggest that several injured militants were evacuated by retreating fighters, but the overall momentum of the offensive appears to have been decisively blunted.
The attacks along the Sambisa axis reinforce the enduring challenge posed by Boko Haram and ISWAP in northeastern Nigeria, particularly in areas bordering Cameroon and within the Lake Chad Basin. For more than a decade, these groups have waged an insurgency marked by mass kidnappings, suicide bombings, village raids, and repeated efforts to seize territory from the Nigerian state. Despite sustained military pressure under operations such as Operation HADIN KAI, which was launched in 2015 to degrade and dismantle the groups’ capabilities, the militants continue to test security perimeters and seek opportunities to strike vulnerable locations.
The Nigerian Army’s response in Pulka and Mandaragirau demonstrates an emphasis on battle discipline, tactical foresight, and rapid reinforcement, elements that military leadership says are crucial to maintaining defensive integrity and countering asymmetric threats. The deployment of reinforced brigades, pre‑positioned combat teams, and air support capabilities has been central to the Army’s operational doctrine in the theatre. These efforts are underscored by a broader strategy to deny insurgent freedom of movement and protect civilian populations across volatile corridors in Borno and neighbouring states.
However, despite tactical victories, the conflict’s human toll remains severe. Rural communities in areas such as Gwoza and surrounding local government areas continue to endure disruptions to daily life, including displacement, loss of livelihoods, and pervasive fear of renewed attacks. The deaths of CJTF volunteers, who often work in tandem with formal security forces at great personal risk, reflect the profound local involvement in what is effectively a national counter‑terrorism effort.
Security experts highlight that while operations like those in Pulka and Mandaragirau demonstrate combat effectiveness, long‑term stability will require sustained pressure on extremist networks, improved intelligence integration, community engagement to reduce insurgent support, and comprehensive socio‑economic initiatives to address underlying grievances exploited by militant recruiters.
As investigations continue into the full impact of the attacks, Nigerian military authorities have reiterated their commitment to safeguarding the region and advancing operations designed to dismantle the operational bases and supply chains of Boko Haram and ISWAP. The neutralisation of senior commanders such as Abou Aisha is seen by the Defence High Command as a significant blow to insurgent leadership structures, even as the broader campaign persists with ongoing offensive and defensive operations across the northeast.
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