Troops Foil Coordinated Terrorist Attacks, Recover Weapons In Borno, Adamawa

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled coordinated terrorist attacks in parts of Adamawa and Borno states, neutralising several insurgents during follow-up operations, the military has said.

The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the then Acting Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant S. A. Atokolo.

According to the statement, the attacks occurred in the early hours of Friday, January 16, 2026.


In Adamawa State, terrorists attempted to overrun a patrol base at Sabon Gari in Madagali Local Government Area under Sector 4 of Operation HADIN KAI.

Troops at the base engaged the attackers with reinforcement support from Gulak and a Battalion Quick Reaction Force, forcing the insurgents to retreat.

No casualty was recorded among the troops, while the area was later cleared and scanned for possible improvised explosive devices and booby traps to ensure safety.

On the same day in Borno State, terrorists launched a large-scale, multi-directional attack on the Forward Operating Base at Azir.

The attackers attempted to breach parts of the defensive perimeter but were repelled following a prolonged firefight that lasted over an hour.

Military sources said the troops received support from the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI and other Nigerian Army aerial platforms, which helped force the attackers to withdraw.

During the engagement, rocket-propelled grenade fire from the terrorists damaged some troop-carrying vehicles and partially gutted the CCTV control room at the base. However, troops retained control of the situation.

Several weapons and ammunition were recovered from the attackers, including a 60mm mortar tube, mortar bombs, locally fabricated explosives, heavy machine gun rounds and large quantities of 7.62mm NATO ammunition.

Following the attack, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platforms tracked the fleeing terrorists, leading to air strikes along their withdrawal routes.

The strikes resulted in the neutralisation of additional insurgents, according to the military.

Operation HADIN KAI said follow-up operations were ongoing to further degrade terrorist networks and prevent renewed attacks in the North East.