Troops of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, have killed 16 terrorists, recovered weapons and repelled coordinated attacks on military positions during a series of ground and air operations in Adamawa State.
The operations were conducted between Wednesday, September 30 and Thursday, October 1, 2026, across the Sector 4 Area of Operations in Adamawa State, involving a ground ambush at Boima in Gombi Local Government Area, an early-morning air strike and separate defensive operations at military positions in Garkida and Garaha. Three Nigerian soldiers were killed during the fighting.
The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed details of the operations in a statement on Thursday, October 1.
According to the military, troops operating around the Boima general area of Gombi LGA identified and ambushed a terrorist enclave.
“In the Boima general area of Gombi Local Government Area, troops conducted an ambush on a terrorist enclave, neutralising 16 terrorists,” Goni said.
After the encounter, troops searched the area and recovered weapons and ammunition abandoned at the location.
The recovered items included three AK-47 rifles, two pump-action rifles, one Dane gun, six AK-47 magazines and a belt of pump-action cartridges.
The operation was followed by a separate action involving the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI during the early hours of Thursday.
According to the military account, an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform detected a concentration of approximately 16 terrorists accompanied by 15 motorcycles under a tree canopy within Sector 4.
The group was detected at approximately 4:40 a.m. on October 1.
Following surveillance, identification and target acquisition, the Air Component was directed to engage the location.
The air interdiction was carried out at approximately 5:30 a.m., about 50 minutes after the group was initially detected.
The military said the air strike recorded a direct hit.
A subsequent Battle Damage Assessment confirmed that the targeted position had been destroyed, according to the Theatre Command.
Some terrorists who survived the strike reportedly scattered from the area.
The military statement did not provide a separate confirmed death toll from the air strike.
The confirmed figure of 16 terrorists killed was specifically attributed to the earlier ground ambush at the terrorist enclave in the Boima general area.
The air operation should therefore not be reported as another confirmed 16 deaths merely because approximately 16 terrorists were observed at the targeted location before the strike.
While the ground and air operations were taking place, troops also confronted attacks against Nigerian military positions elsewhere in Adamawa.
The insurgents launched coordinated attacks against personnel of the 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha.
Troops at the two locations responded to the attacks and engaged the insurgents.
According to the military, the response forced the attackers to abandon their mission and withdraw.
The encounters, however, resulted in casualties among Nigerian troops.
Three soldiers were killed during the engagements, while other personnel sustained injuries.
The wounded soldiers were evacuated for medical attention.
The military said they were receiving treatment and were in stable condition at the time the operational statement was released.
No names of the three soldiers killed during the attacks were disclosed in the statement.
The military also did not provide the number or identities of the wounded personnel.
Following the confrontations, troops commenced exploitation and mop-up operations across the affected areas.
The operations are intended to locate fleeing terrorists, search affected locations and maintain military pressure following the attacks.
The Theatre Command said the latest operations were being conducted within a renewed operational approach aimed at improving cooperation among the different components of Operation HADIN KAI.
“Operational successes came amid ongoing efforts to strengthen joint integration and improve coordination among the land, air and other supporting components of the Theatre Command,” Captain Goni said.
He added that the renewed approach was centred on the use of intelligence, technology and combined military capabilities.
“The renewed operational approach was focused on leveraging intelligence, technology and joint capabilities to deny terrorists freedom of action across the North East,” he said.
The latest fighting occurred as the military continues operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province elements operating across parts of the North-East.
Operation HADIN KAI covers military counter-insurgency activities across the region, including Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
Sector 4, where the latest operations occurred, covers Adamawa and has witnessed several military operations against insurgents and other armed groups during 2026.
On August 27, 2026, Operation HADIN KAI troops working with a Special Tactical Team from the Office of the National Security Adviser carried out a major operation around Kopre Mountain in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
That operation resulted in the killing of more than 21 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists and the destruction of their camp, according to the military.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered during that operation.
More recently, in September, Sector 4 troops working with local hunters arrested six suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate operating around Soktu Hill in Song Local Government Area.
The military said the suspects had operated around Soktu, Dumne and Maigero and were being investigated over kidnappings and other violent crimes.
The latest Boima operation differs because troops directly engaged a terrorist enclave, resulting in the military-confirmed killing of 16 terrorists.
The subsequent air operation also demonstrates the involvement of both ground troops and the Air Component within the same operational period.
The sequence established by the military places the ground ambush at Boima within operations conducted between September 30 and October 1.
Then, at approximately 4:40 a.m. on October 1, military surveillance detected about 16 terrorists and 15 motorcycles beneath a tree canopy.
At approximately 5:30 a.m., the Air Component conducted the precision strike after the target had been identified and acquired.
The military reported a direct hit and said subsequent assessment confirmed destruction of the target, while some surviving terrorists dispersed.
At Garkida and Garaha, meanwhile, troops repelled coordinated attacks against the 226 and 232 battalions.
Those engagements resulted in the deaths of three soldiers and injuries to other personnel.
The Theatre Command said follow-up operations remained underway across the affected areas.
It also called on residents to continue providing security forces with information that could assist ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
Captain Goni urged members of the public to “remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing operations.”
The Theatre Command also thanked Nigerians for their support and cooperation as the country marked its 66th Independence Anniversary on October 1, 2026.
The confirmed outcome of the latest operations is therefore the killing of 16 terrorists during the Boima ground ambush, the recovery of three AK-47 rifles, two pump-action rifles, one Dane gun, six AK-47 magazines and a belt of pump-action cartridges, and the destruction of a separately identified terrorist target during the early-morning air operation.
Troops also successfully repelled attacks against military positions in Garkida and Garaha, although three Nigerian soldiers lost their lives and other personnel were wounded during those engagements.
Military mop-up and follow-up operations remain ongoing across the affected parts of Adamawa State.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments