Operation Hadin Kai Foils ISWAP Ambush, Rescues 92 Abducted Civilians in Borno

In a major tactical victory against insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, troops attached to the Joint Task Force Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have successfully rescued 92 kidnapped civilians and neutralized a series of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) deliberately planted to ambush pursuing forces.

The successful counter-terror operation unfolded along the critical Buratai–Kamuya road network within the Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, a corridor known to face sporadic incursions from remnant factions of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The details of the dramatic rescue were made public on Sunday in an official press dispatch issued by the Media Information Officer for Operation Hadin Kai, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba. According to the operational log, the mission was spearheaded by frontline troops from the 135 Special Forces Battalion stationed at the Dutse Kura forward operating base.

The engagement began at approximately 11:22 AM when military surveillance units detected suspicious, coordinated movements by armed terrorists. The insurgents were spotted actively herding a large group of freshly abducted civilians and several civilian vehicles off the main road and deeper into the dense undergrowth.

Recognizing the immediacy of the threat, the local commander rapidly activated a Quick Reaction Force (QRF). To ensure complete operational dominance, the theater command immediately funneled in heavy reinforcements from the nearby 27 Task Force Brigade Garrison.

Faced with a rapidly closing military dragnet, the insurgent fighters realized they were heavily outgunned. The pressure of the coordinated pursuit forced the terrorists to abandon their human cargo and their logistical prizes, fleeing in complete disarray toward the dense foliage of the Mangari–Dora general area.

Lt. Col. Uba confirmed that a breakdown of the rescued hostages emphasizes the indiscriminate nature of the insurgent raids. The 92 freed victims comprise:

Adult Males: 52 individuals, many of whom were drivers and transit passengers.

Adult Females: 33 women rescued unharmed.

Children: 7 young minors pulled from the crossfire zone.

Logistical Recoveries: 8 commercial and private vehicles returned to safety.

In a desperate bid to slow down the advancing military units and cover their chaotic retreat, the fleeing terrorists hastily planted three powerful improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the Bula Zarma-Mangari axis.

"Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams swiftly responded and successfully neutralised all three devices, clearing the route for continued pursuit operations," Lt. Col. Sani Uba stated. "Troops advanced about five kilometres beyond the Mangari general area, while follow-up search operations indicated that the terrorists had dispersed in disarray, abandoning their objectives."

The theater command proudly reported that no military personnel sustained injuries and no equipment casualties were recorded during the intense tactical engagement. Following their extraction from the bush, the 92 rescued civilians were provided with immediate hot meals, medical evaluation and psycho-social welfare support by military doctors. They were subsequently escorted under heavy armed guard to neighboring Damaturu, Yobe State, for formal reintegration and onward transit to their final destinations.

The highest tiers of the Nigerian Military Command have highly commended the troops for their display of raw professionalism, timing and combat readiness. Army headquarters described the flawless execution of the rescue as a textbook demonstration of the military’s vastly improved regional surveillance capabilities and expanded operational reach across the Northeast.