Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) troops continued offensive actions against insurgent groups in Borno State, reporting notable successes in coordinated ground and air assaults on several strongholds, the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lt‑Col. Sani Uba, said on Wednesday in Maiduguri.
The operations, conducted under the banner of Operation Desert Sanity V, involved units from Sector 2 that carried out simultaneous engagements along the Azir Bridge (Timbuktu axis) and the Bulabulin Forest area. The missions were supported by the Air Component Command, which provided intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and precision strike capabilities.
According to Lt‑Col. Uba, forces from Sector 2, together with elements of the Sector 2 Stabilisation Force Brigade and the Civilian Joint Task Force, cleared terrorist‑held enclaves at Mar, Subdu, Yaro Lawanti and Yaro Shuwari, as well as adjacent locations near the Bulabulin Forest and the Kamadogu‑Yobe stretch. During the operation, troops engaged militants in Malam Shiri Village, executing a flanking maneuver that neutralised 11 insurgents while others fled, some sustaining injuries.
The subsequent exploitation of the cleared sites resulted in the destruction of all life‑support structures within the enclaves. Recoveries included nine AK‑47 rifles, three PKT anti‑aircraft machine guns, five motorcycles, assorted ammunition and materials used for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Lt‑Col. Uba said the strikes significantly disrupted the logistical and operational capabilities of the insurgents operating along the axis.
In a separate engagement on the Timbuktu axis, along the Wajiroko–Sabon Gari corridor, OPHK forces maintained tactical superiority. Exploitation after the clash identified seven neutralised militants, with additional evidence suggesting higher enemy casualties. Recovered materiel comprised AK‑47s, rocket‑propelled grenade (RPG) tubes, a large ammunition cache, bandoliers and communications equipment.
The Air Component Command played a critical role, delivering continuous ISR support that enabled accurate targeting and real‑time coordination. Precision air‑interdiction strikes were directed at confirmed terrorist positions and fleeing elements, further degrading insurgent numbers and contributing to the success of the combined air‑land offensive.
Following the operations, OPHK troops, together with volunteer forces, are conducting follow‑up actions along the Forfor, Multe and Wajiroko axes to consolidate gains and prevent regrouping by fleeing militants. Lt‑Col. Uba affirmed that the recent engagements demonstrate OPHK’s growing operational effectiveness and sustained dominance in the theatre.
