Nigerian military has listed killing of 16 terrorists, recovery of weapons among the achievements of its troops in recent separate operations in Adamawa State.
The operations, by troops of the Joint Task Force, North East, Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) also resulted in destruction of a terrorist gathering and repel of coordinated attacks on troops’ formations.
However, three soldiers were also killed in the operation.
OPHK, revealed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters JTF North East, Capt. Mohammed Goni.
He said the operations were conducted between September 30 and October 1, 2026 with the first major encounter in the Boima general area of Gombi Local Government Area.
Goni said troops conducted a coordinated ambush against a terrorist enclave in the area, resulting in the neutralisation of 16 terrorists.
Subsequent exploitation of the engagement site led to recovery of three AK-47 rifles, two pump-action rifles, one Dane gun, six AK-47 magazines and a belt of pump-action cartridges.
The OPHK spokesperson further revealed that the Air Component of OPHK also carried out a precision air strike after an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform detected about 16 terrorists gathered alongside 15 motorcycles beneath a tree canopy in Sector 4.
According to the statement, the target was identified and acquired before the air interdiction was conducted at about 5:30am on October 1.
‘Subsequent Battle Damage Assessment confirmed the successful destruction of the target, while few surviving elements scattered in disarray,’ the statement said.
Goni added that troops deployed to 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha repelled coordinated attacks launched by insurgents against their positions.
However, the troops responded with overwhelming firepower, forcing the attackers to abort their mission and withdraw.
Goni confirmed that three soldiers were killed during the fierce engagements, while wounded personnel were evacuated and are receiving medical treatment in stable condition.
The Theatre Command said follow-up exploitation and mop-up operations were ongoing across the affected areas.
The spokesperson said the operational successes were partly due to the ongoing restructuring of Headquarters Theatre Command strengthen joint integration, improving operational synergy and ensuring greater inclusiveness of relevant stakeholders in the counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency campaign.
According to the statement, the renewed approach was already producing operational gains through improved coordination among land, air and other supporting components.
The Theatre Command also reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining offensive operations against terrorists and leveraging intelligence, technology and joint capabilities to deny hostile groups freedom of action across the North-East.
It also called on members of the public to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security agencies as military operations continue across the region.