Troops Neutralise Two Boko Haram Commanders, 10 Fighters in Sambisa, Mandara Mountains

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, have killed two Boko Haram commanders and eight other fighters during coordinated operations in the Sambisa Forest and Mandara Mountains.

The commanders were identified as Basulhu and Ubaida. The operation was conducted in the early hours of Thursday under Operation Desert Sanity V, following an attempt by insurgents to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along key routes.

In a statement, the Media Information Officer of the Theatre Command, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said troops from Sector 1 engaged the insurgents after detecting an ambush involving roadside IEDs and heavy gunfire.

According to the statement, the troops overpowered the attackers, killing 10 fighters in total. A follow-up pursuit led to the recovery of three AK-47 rifles, one pump-action rifle, five motorcycles, two hand grenades, two Baofeng radios, 12 AK-47 magazines, a rocket-propelled grenade charger, detonation cords, batteries, bandoliers, camel bags, iron bars, and other IED-making materials.

Lt. Col. Uba added that in a separate operation around the Malkube area, troops made contact with insurgents on another axis, neutralising two fighters and recovering additional rifles, ammunition, and communication equipment. No casualties were recorded among the troops.

In another encounter, a battle group from Sector 1 engaged Boko Haram and ISWAP elements attempting to cross into Nigeria from Cameroon near Galakura. The fighters were forced to retreat, abandoning equipment, including two motorcycles.

The military said the operations further restricted insurgent movement and disrupted their activities across the Sambisa–Mandara axis.