Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have successfully repelled a coordinated terrorist attack in Goniri, Yobe State, killing more than 20 insurgents during a fierce overnight battle.
The troops of the Joint Task Force (North East), deployed under Sector 2 of Operation Hadin Kai, came under heavy assault from suspected ISWAP terrorists between the night of Monday, March 9 and the early hours of Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
According to military sources, the attackers advanced from multiple directions in what appeared to be a coordinated attempt to encircle the military position in Goniri.
However, the terrorists were detected early through surveillance assets as they moved simultaneously from Goniri village and the Ngamdu Junction axis.
The vigilant troops responded swiftly, engaging the insurgents with superior firepower and tactical manoeuvres that disrupted the attempted encirclement.
Reinforcements were quickly mobilised to support the defending troops, while the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai provided close air support that significantly degraded the terrorists’ fighting capability.
The combined ground and aerial response overwhelmed the insurgents, forcing them to retreat in disarray after sustaining heavy casualties.
Military sources confirmed that more than 20 terrorists were killed during the confrontation, including a senior commander identified as Abu Yusu, the Munzir of Dursula.
Following the failed assault, troops conducted a sweep of the battlefield and recovered several bodies of the terrorists alongside weapons and equipment abandoned during the retreat.
Items recovered include multiple machine guns, AK-47 rifles, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), bombs, and assorted ammunition of various calibres.
Further exploitation and clearance operations were subsequently carried out by troops in the wider area.
During follow-up patrols around Gwaigomari in the Timbuktu Triangle, troops discovered additional bodies of terrorists believed to have fled with injuries during the firefight.
The clearance operations continued into the early hours of Wednesday, March 11, 2026, as troops sustained efforts to secure the area and prevent further terrorist activity.
