Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Jevaun Rhashan
Nigerian military forces operating under the Joint Task Force (North East), widely known as Operation HADIN KAI, have successfully repelled coordinated terrorist attacks on two strategic military positions in Borno State in the early hours of Friday, March 13, 2026, reinforcing the military’s claim that troops remain firmly in control of the operational theatre despite persistent insurgent offensives across the region.
According to an official statement issued by Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, Media Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, the attacks targeted troop positions at Azir Bridge in Damboa Local Government Area and the border town of Banki in Bama Local Government Area. Both locations are considered strategically important in Nigeria’s counter-insurgency campaign against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), insurgent groups that have waged a violent campaign in the country’s northeast for more than a decade.
Military authorities said the assaults occurred in quick succession during the early hours of the morning. The first attack began around 2:00 a.m. at Azir Bridge, while a second attack was launched roughly 90 minutes later at a military formation in Banki. Intelligence sources said the militants advanced in significant numbers in what appeared to be a coordinated effort to overwhelm the defensive positions and seize control of the installations.
However, Nigerian troops stationed at both locations reportedly detected the movements of the attackers in advance and responded with swift countermeasures. Soldiers engaged the insurgents with heavy firepower and launched spoiling attacks designed to disrupt the terrorists’ formations before they could establish control of the battlefield. Military officials said the strategy proved effective, forcing the attackers into confusion and ultimately triggering their retreat.
The engagements were further supported by the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI, which provided close air support during the confrontation. Fighter aircraft and surveillance platforms were deployed to assist ground forces, striking suspected militant positions and tracking fleeing insurgents. The aerial intervention played a decisive role in preventing the militants from regrouping or sustaining the offensive, according to military officials.
Authorities said troops maintained control of both positions throughout the confrontation and continued to dominate the surrounding operational environment after the attackers were repelled. Military commanders also indicated that follow-up operations were ongoing in nearby areas to track and neutralize surviving militants who fled the battlefield during the engagements.
Security analysts say the attempted assaults reflect the continued operational capability of insurgent groups in the region, which have intensified attacks in recent weeks. The northeast of Nigeria, particularly Borno State, remains the epicentre of the country’s long-running insurgency, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions of civilians since it began in 2009.
The town of Banki, located near the Cameroon border, has long been considered a sensitive military and humanitarian hub. It hosts both security formations and camps for internally displaced persons returning to their communities after years of conflict. Azir, situated along the Maiduguri-Damboa-Biu corridor, also holds significant strategic importance because the road has historically served as a critical supply route linking military bases across southern Borno. Control of the corridor has often been contested due to frequent ambushes, improvised explosive devices and insurgent raids.
In recent months, insurgent factions have attempted to exploit remote terrain and porous borders to stage attacks on military installations, often during nighttime operations intended to catch troops off guard. The Nigerian military has responded by reinforcing defensive positions, deploying aerial surveillance and conducting aggressive patrols across key areas of the theatre.
Stone Reporters note that the attempted attacks at Azir Bridge and Banki come amid a series of escalating confrontations between Nigerian forces and insurgent groups in the northeast. In early March, militants launched coordinated assaults on several military bases across Borno and neighboring states, resulting in casualties among both soldiers and insurgents. Some of those attacks led to the destruction of military equipment and the temporary breach of defensive perimeters before troops regained control of the affected areas.
Despite these challenges, military officials maintain that Operation HADIN KAI continues to degrade the operational capacity of insurgent groups through sustained ground offensives, intelligence-driven operations and targeted airstrikes. The operation, established to coordinate the Nigerian Armed Forces’ campaign against Boko Haram and ISWAP, integrates army, air force and other security components under a unified command structure.
Authorities say the latest repelled assaults demonstrate the readiness and combat preparedness of troops deployed across the region. According to Lieutenant Colonel Uba, soldiers stationed at both Azir Bridge and Banki responded with “superior tactical awareness and combat readiness,” enabling them to disrupt the attackers before they could gain any strategic advantage.
Military officials also used the opportunity to address what they described as misinformation circulating on some online platforms regarding the security situation in the northeast. The statement emphasized that the affected military formations remain secure and operational, contradicting claims that insurgents had overrun the locations.
In reaffirming the military’s commitment to restoring peace in the region, Operation HADIN KAI assured residents that troops remain vigilant and determined to defeat all terrorist threats across the theatre of operations. Commanders stressed that the counter-insurgency campaign would continue with sustained offensive operations aimed at dismantling insurgent networks and protecting civilian populations.
For communities in Borno State and across northeastern Nigeria, the outcome of such confrontations remains critical. Many residents continue to rely on military protection as they rebuild towns devastated by years of conflict, while humanitarian agencies work to support millions of displaced people seeking stability and security.
As military patrols and aerial surveillance continue in the aftermath of Friday’s attacks, security authorities say the immediate objective is to prevent insurgents from regrouping and to maintain pressure on militant networks operating in the region’s forests and borderlands.
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