Troops kill 2 Boko Haram commanders, 8 others

By Ndahi Marama

Maiduguri: Troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), operating under Operation DESERT SANITY V, have neutralized two senior Boko Haram/ISWAP commanders and eight other terrorists in the Sambisa Forest and Mandara Mountains near the Cameroon border.

The successful operation comes just 24 hours after the same troops conducted a raid in the Timbuktu Triangle, a notorious terrorist stronghold linking Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states.

In a statement yesterday night, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, Information Manager of the Joint Task Force North East, OPHK, said: “OPHK troops delivered a decisive blow to BH/ISWAP terrorists along the Sambisa and Mandara Mountains axis on 22 January 2026. At around 0930 hours, insurgents attempted a well-planned ambush with roadside improvised explosive devices (RSIED) and heavy gunfire, but troops under Sector 1 responded with superior firepower, neutralizing 10 terrorists, including two senior commanders identified as Basulhu and Ubaida.”

He added that follow-up operations 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 IED accessories.

“On a separate axis, Sector 1 troops engaged terrorists around the Malkube area, recovering additional AK-47 rifles, ammunition, and communication devices, while neutralizing two more insurgents with no casualties to our personnel,” Lt. Col. Uba explained.

Earlier, another battle group repelled BH/ISWAP elements attempting to infiltrate from Cameroon near Galakura, forcing them to withdraw in disarray. Exploitation of the area yielded insurgent equipment, including two motorcycles, further denying the terrorists freedom of action. Troop morale and combat efficiency remain high, and operations will be sustained across the North East region.”

In a related development, OPHK troops captured the mosque of Abu Ayuba and destroyed his residence during raids on ISWAP hideouts in the Timbuktu Triangle and Sambisa Forest area. Ayuba, a notorious ISWAP leader and Wali (Governor) of the Timbuktu Triangle, narrowly escaped the attack. The mosque had served as a key planning hub for ISWAP operations.

Military sources confirmed that the manhunt for remaining ISWAP leaders in the Timbuktu Triangle and surrounding areas has been intensified, with sustained operations planned to disrupt and dismantle terrorist networks across the North East.

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