Odita Sunday 
Troops repel ISWAP attacks in Borno, kill 25 fighters in coordinated air-land operations — OPHK
Troops of Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI have repelled coordinated terrorist attacks in Limankara and Kukawa, Borno State, killing scores of ISWAP fighters in combined ground and air offensives.
The Media Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East) Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, disclosed this in a statement issued on February 22, 2026.
According to the statement, terrorists launched failed assaults on Limankara and Kukawa on the night of February 20, 2026, in what the military described as desperate attempts amid sustained pressure on their enclaves and logistics corridors.
”In a related offensive under Operation DESERT SANITY V, troops of Sector 2, acting on weeks of intelligence supported by satellite imagery and ISR air platforms, carried out a precision raid in the early hours of February 22 around Lamusheri Village in Gujba Local Government Area,” the statement revealed.
Uba said troops, working in synergy with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, outflanked the terrorists despite coming under fire on approach, neutralising 15 fighters while others fled with gunshot wounds. Several defensive structures were destroyed, five tricycles and two vehicles used for logistics were set ablaze, while arms, ammunition and other combat items were recovered.
According to him, at about 12:56 a.m., terrorists also attempted to infiltrate the Forward Operating Base in Limankara but were met with immediate resistance. Reinforcements and air support overwhelmed the attackers, forcing them to retreat through the burial ground axis. The military said there were no casualties or equipment losses on the side of the troops, while intelligence indicated terrorist casualties.
Similarly, he disclosed that at about 11:20 p.m., insurgents mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles launched a multi-pronged attack on troops in Kukawa from the Alagarno and Jemmu axes. “Troops engaged them in a prolonged firefight extending into the early hours of February 21.
”With coordinated resistance from ground forces and air support from the Nigerian Air Force, the terrorists were forced to withdraw, dragging away casualties. Air strikes destroyed one gun truck, killing four fighters, and later hit fleeing insurgents on five motorcycles, neutralising an additional 10 fighters.
”During follow-up exploitation, troops recovered 13 AK-47 rifles, 16 loaded magazines, three handheld radios, stretchers used by the insurgents and discovered shallow graves and blood trails,” he stated.
The statement, however, confirmed that one soldier was killed in action, while some combat equipment was damaged by rocket fire. Wounded personnel were evacuated by Nigerian Army Aviation helicopters and are reported to be in stable condition.
Uba stated that the sustained and synchronised operations across multiple fronts have further degraded terrorist combat capacity and reinforced the operational dominance of Operation HADIN KAI in the North-East theatre.
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