•Armed forces recapture area B/H declared ‘caliphate’
By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
The war against insecurity has continued relentlessly as the military claimed successes with hundreds of Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters killed in Borno and Yobe states in the last two weeks.
But it is not all round success for the military as, in a tit-for-tat scenario, the armed forces also recorded significant casualties with two commanding officers among troops killed while military bases were overrun by daring terrorists.
The two commanding officers killed were identified as Lt. Col. S.I Iliyasu and Lt. Col. Umar Farouq.
Before they paid the supreme price, Iliyasu was in charge of the Konduga based 222 Battalion while Farouq commanded the Forward Operation Base located in Kukawa, headquarters of Kukawa local government area of Borno State.
Also slain was Major U.I Mairiga when terrorists invaded Mayanti Military Base in Bama local government area of the state.
The victims operated under the Joint Task Force North East ‘Operation HADIN KAI’, led by Theatre Commander, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar.
Sources said the series of attacks that claimed the lives of the officers and many of their troops started late Saturday, February 28 and the early hours of Sunday, March 1 when the Mayanti Military Base was invaded by the fighters of Boko Haram/ISWAP.
The attacks continued on Thursday, March 5 when Iliyasu and some troops died during an encounter with terrorists who attempted to infiltrate troops’ location of 222 Battalion in Konduga.
Four days after (Monday, March 9), Farouq paid the supreme price when armed terrorists launched an attack on his base in Kukawa.
What makes the death of Farouq particularly sad is that about two weeks before then, he had, according to reports, led his troops to deal a decisively blow on Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists who had tried to attack Konduga by repelling them, an act that reportedly earned him a commendation from the authorities.
Also not left out of the casualties are some members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and civilians.
Many houses and property worth billions of naira were either destroyed or set ablaze in more than 10 attacks.
Sources revealed that most of the attacks were largely a result of insurgents being pushed out from their strongholds by the military offensive which led them to launch attacks in nearby communities.
Drones
The terrorists were said to be well equipped with armed drones.
But they suffered failed attacks in Mayanti, Gajigana and Gajiram communities in Borno State.
A source narrating the attack on the Forward Operation Base in Mayanti village said it came under heavy attack by a large number of terrorists, leading to the death of Major Mairiga and many soldiers.
It was learnt that the gallant troops held firm despite intense enemy fire as reinforcements fought through ambush and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) threats to rout the attackers.
Corpses of five terrorists were said to have been recovered at the end of the firefight with troops alongside three PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, two RPG-7 tubes, four AK-47 rifles, two FN rifles, three RPG bombs and large quantities of 7.62mm ammunition, with blood trails indicating additional casualties.
Media Information Officer Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, in a statement, confirmed the attacks, saying troops of the Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) once again demonstrated resilience and battlefield dominance.
According to Uba, troops foiled coordinated ISWAP attacks on Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) in Mayanti, Gajigana and Gajiram, while intensifying offensive operations across Sector II.
“The failed assaults, launched between the late hours of 28 February and early hours of 1 March 2026, underscore the growing desperation of terrorist elements under sustained pressure on their enclaves, logistics corridors and leadership structures”, he narrated.
“While the attack on Gajigana was successfully thwarted troops maintaining full control of their position, the encounters at Mayanti and Gajiram resulted in significant terrorist casualties and the recovery of substantial combat equipment.
“OPHK’s sustained offensive posture continues to deny terrorists freedom of action, forcing them into disorderly retreats with heavy losses.
“On 28 February 2026, FOB Mayanti came under heavy attack by a large number of terrorists.
“Gallant troops held firm despite intense enemy fire, as reinforcements fought through ambush and IED threats to rout the attackers.
“Exploitation confirmed five terrorist corpses and the recovery of three PKT automatic anti-aircraft guns, two RPG-7 tubes, four AK-47 rifles, two FN rifles, three RPG bombs and large quantities of 7.62mm ammunition, with blood trails indicating additional casualties”.
Referring to the death of Major U.I Mairiga, the Media Information Officer confirmed: “Sadly, an officer paid the supreme price”
Uba continued his narration: “Similarly, at about 0115 hours on 1 March 2026, terrorists, armed with PKT guns, RPGs and armed drones, attacked FOB Gajiram but were repelled by determined troops supported by air assets.
“Three terrorist bodies were recovered along the withdrawal route, alongside four AK-47 rifles, five anti-tank bombs, three locally fabricated mortar bombs, one armed drone, six fully loaded 7.62mm NATO magazines, barbed wire cutters, specialised ammunition, poisoned arrows and other items abandoned in flight, while one wounded soldier was airlifted by a Nigerian Army Aviation helicopter for advanced medical care.
“In related offensive actions under Sector 2, troops engaged terrorists at Kayawa Village, forcing them to flee and abandon a tricycle, three motorcycles and five bicycles.
“Troops destroyed identified life-support structures, arrested two confessed ISWAP logistics suppliers and recovered drugs and medical consumables used for treating wounded terrorists.
“Additionally, during an ambush around Bulturam Corner and Dadingel in Gujba LGA, troops neutralised two terrorists and recovered two AK-47 rifles, four AK-47 magazines, a bicycle and other sundry items.
Firefight
In another firefight on Wednesday, March 4, over 50 terrorists were reportedly killed alongside some soldiers, Chief Imam of Ngoshe Central Mosque and civilians when Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists invaded Ngoshe community in Gwoza local government area of Borno State.
The clash, it was learnt, led to the dislodgement of the military base in Ngoshe with the abduction of over 300 people, mostly women and children.
Troops have, however, reclaimed their base and liberated the community after one week of bragging by the terrorists, according to the authorities.
Some unidentified persons suspected to be terrorists in an unverified video that trended on the social media penultimate Friday claimed responsibility for the attack on Ngoshe.
They vowed that they had taken over the community and made it their caliphate to celebrate the end of the 2026 Ramadan fast.
Although the spokesman of the terrorists in the video clip did not mention his name, he insisted that they were proud working with their leader, whom he named as Imam Abu Huraira.
He also said scores of soldiers and civilians were killed or slaughtered and over 300 abducted in the Ngoshe attack.
Latest attacks
A separate clash between terrorists and the military occurred in Yobe State on Monday, March 9 and Tuesday, March 10 when an army base was attacked by suspected ISWAP fighters.
Army spokesperson Uba said that troops repelled the attacks on their location in Goniri, Gujba local government area of Yobe.
According to him, troops of the 120 Task Force Battalion, Goniri rose to the occasion.
He said the attacks occurred when the troops came under assault from multiple directions.
The terrorists, the spokesperson said, were initially detected through surveillance assets approaching the military location simultaneously from Goniri village and Ngamdu junction in an attempt to encircle the camp.
“The gallant troops responded with exceptional manoeuvre and firepower, coordinating their defensive actions while reinforcements and the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI provided timely and decisive air support,” he said.
Uba said the terrorists were met with overwhelming resistance and were forced to withdraw after suffering heavy casualties.
He stressed that more than 20 terrorists were killed during the firefight, including a senior commander identified as Abu Yusu, who was said to be the Munzir of Dursula.
“Several terrorist bodies were left behind, while troops recovered weapons and equipment abandoned during the retreat, including machine guns, AK-47 rifles, bombs and assorted ammunition of various calibre,” he said.
The spokesman said additional bodies were recovered during follow-up patrols conducted in the general area of Gwaigomari within the Timbuktu Triangle up to the early hours of 11 March.
He noted that some sections of the defensive perimeter at the military base were temporarily breached, while structures and vehicles within the camp sustained damage due to the intensity of the attack.
Uba, however, said the injured troops had been evacuated and were in stable condition and receiving treatment.
He emphasised that the location remained firmly under the control of Operation HADIN KAI troops.
The spokesman added that ground forces, supported by the air component, were conducting follow-up operations and search missions in neighbouring communities where some wounded terrorists were believed to be hiding.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Operation HADIN KAI to the total defeat of the terrorist groups operating in the North-East region.
The post Military, terrorists in tit-for-tat: Army bases attacked, top officers killed,ISWAP commander ‘eliminated’ appeared first on Vanguard News.
