Troops repel ISWAP attack in Chibok

Ndume confirms 2 killed, church razed

By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri

Troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade, Sector 4, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have successfully repelled a large-scale attack by ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday.

Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South), whose constituency includes Chibok, confirmed the attack in a phone conversation with our correspondent. He said he received a distress call from one of his coordinators in the area.

“Boko Haram/ISWAP invaded some communities in Chibok, but they were repelled by troops. Unfortunately, two people were killed, and a local church was razed in Kwada village,” Ndume stated.

Meanwhile, sources indicated that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) neutralised scores of the fleeing fighters during a follow-up air interdiction.

A credible source said the terrorists, who were large in number, launched a coordinated multi-front assault on the community at about 3:00 a.m., attempting to breach defensive positions and overwhelm deployed troops.

The soldiers responded immediately with superior firepower and well-coordinated manoeuvres, engaging the attackers in a two-hour gun battle that forced them to retreat toward the Timbuktu Triangle.

“The troops were alert and professionally contained the attack. There was no casualty on our side, and no equipment was affected,” the source said.

Following the terrorists’ withdrawal, ground forces requested air support, prompting the immediate deployment of NAF combat aircraft to the identified withdrawal axis.

“The NAF jet delivered precise and devastating strikes along the terrorists’ escape route, obliterating a significant number of the fighters and disrupting their movement,” the source added.

According to the sources, four major airstrikes were conducted by NAF combat aircraft along the terrorists’ withdrawal route toward the Timbuktu Triangle. The strikes were guided by real-time intelligence from ground troops of the 28 Task Force Brigade, Sector 4, Operation Hadin Kai.

The first wave of strikes targeted a cluster of fleeing terrorists attempting to regroup, “achieving significant degradation of the hostile elements,” the sources said. Subsequent strikes targeted additional pockets of fighters dispersing into forested terrain.

In addition to the four manned-aircraft strikes, the sources confirmed that further attacks were carried out by an unmanned aerial platform.

“The platform maintained continuous ISR coverage and engaged with high precision. Its strikes further eliminated retreating fighters and disrupted their movement pattern,” the sources noted.

They emphasised that the combined air–ground coordination ensured the terrorists suffered “substantial losses,” preventing any possibility of reorganisation after the failed offensive.

Responding, Senator Ndume sympathised with the families of the victims and the entire Chibok community. He prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased and urged the military and other security agencies to intensify efforts to restore total peace in Southern Borno and the country at large.

“It is unfortunate that I received a distress call this morning that Boko Haram/ISWAP invaded some communities in Chibok. Although they were repelled by troops, two people were killed, and a local church was razed in Kwada village,” Ndume reiterated.