Nigerian troops of Operation Hadin Kai have successfully neutralized seven suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists during separate operations in Borno State, military sources confirmed on Thursday.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad region, the first encounter occurred on Wednesday when troops of 3 Battalion, working alongside Hybrid Forces and the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), engaged terrorists who were attempting to loot food items from a broken-down vehicle along the Gamboru–Ngala Main Supply Route near Rann.

The swift response from the troops resulted in the elimination of six terrorists. Military personnel recovered two AK-47 rifles, each with a magazine containing ammunition—one with four rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and the other with six rounds.

In a separate operation, troops from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Molai conducted an intelligence-led ambush at the fringes of Komala village along the Maiduguri–Damboa road in Damboa Local Government Area. The operation targeted terrorists who were transiting towards Sambisa Forest, resulting in the death of one insurgent.

During this second engagement, the military recovered multiple motorcycles and materials for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that were allegedly intended for burial along routes frequented by security forces and civilians.

Military sources described these operations as part of ongoing clearance efforts aimed at denying terrorist groups freedom of movement within the theatre of operations in northeastern Nigeria.

The successful operations come amid continued efforts by Nigerian security forces to combat insurgency in the region, which has experienced over a decade of terrorist activities by Boko Haram and its splinter group, ISWAP.