22 soldiers and more than 70 militants have been declared dead by Defense Headquarters as part of a continuing military operation in Borno State’s infamous terrorist stronghold, the Timbuktu Triangle.
According to the DHQ, the operation, which started on January 16, 2025, and has been carried out by forces from Operation Hadin Kai, has centered on destroying terrorist strongholds in the area.
Maj Gen. Edward Buba, the Director of Defence Media Operations, said in a statement on Sunday that the operation had led to multiple run-ins with insurgents.
22 soldiers and more than 70 militants have been declared dead by Defense Headquarters as part of a continuing military operation in Borno State’s infamous terrorist stronghold, the Timbuktu Triangle.
According to Buba, three senior insurgent commanders were among those slain: Abu Yazeed, the Brigade Commander; Mallam Umar, the Operations Commander; and Talha, the Terrorist Special Forces Commander.
According to him, “Operation Hadin Kai troops in the country’s northeast carried out a clearance operation to the Timbuktu Triangle, a notorious terrorist stronghold and enclave.” The three-pronged operation, which began on January 16 and is still going strong, aims to eliminate the terrorist presence in the triangle.
During the clearance operations, troops documented multiple confrontations with terrorists, leading to the neutralization of approximately 70 enemy combatants, including three prominent terrorist commanders. The following terrorist commanders were eliminated, among others: ABU YAZEED (Terrorist Brigade Commander), Mallam UMAR (Terrorist Operations Commander), and TALHA (Terrorist Special Forces Commander).
According to Buba, the terrorists used several deadly strategies during the operations, such as drones, suicide bombers, and improvised explosive devices.
“But he said that forces showed tactical supremacy by successfully repelling these attempts.
The terrorists used Person Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices (suicide bombers) and Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices (suicide bombers in explosive vehicles) to thwart troop advances and attacks during the operations, according to Buba. The troops, who were previously acquainted with the terrorist techniques, shot down the terrorists’ amateur drones and stopped other terrorist efforts.
“But he said that forces showed tactical supremacy by successfully repelling these attempts.
The terrorists used Person Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices (suicide bombers) and Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices (suicide bombers in explosive vehicles) to thwart troop advances and attacks during the operations, according to Buba. The troops, who were previously acquainted with the terrorist techniques, shot down the terrorists’ amateur drones and stopped other terrorist efforts.
Buba acknowledged that 22 soldiers had died, but urged the media to hold off on revealing the names of the fallen so that their families could be formally notified.
“Overall, troops tragically recorded 22 killed-in-action casualties during the operations, with several others wounded in action,” he said. Because of this, the media is prohibited from releasing the names of troop victims to provide their next of kin official notice.
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