3 soldiers killed while repelling coordinated militant raids in Nigeria

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation HADIN KAI, killed scores of terrorists and recovered weapons during coordinated operations in Adamawa State between September 30 and October 1, 2026, the military announced.

According to a statement by Mohammed Goni, acting spokesman for the Joint Task Force, the successes involved a ground ambush, a precision air strike, and defensive actions against attacks on military positions in the Sector 4 Area of Operations.

In the Boima general area of Gombi Local Government Area, troops carried out a coordinated ambush on a terrorist enclave and neutralised 16 terrorists. They recovered three AK-47 rifles, two pump-action rifles, one Dane gun, six AK-47 magazines, and a belt of pump-action cartridges.

In the early hours of October 1, the Air Component conducted a precision strike. An Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platform detected about 16 terrorists gathered with 15 motorcycles under a tree canopy at around 4:40 a.m. A strike executed at about 5:30 a.m. scored a direct hit. Battle damage assessment confirmed the target’s destruction, with surviving elements scattering.

Troops also repelled coordinated insurgent attacks on 226 Battalion in Garkida and 232 Battalion in Garaha. They responded with superior firepower, forcing the attackers to withdraw.

Three soldiers were killed in the fierce fighting. Wounded personnel were evacuated and are in stable condition receiving medical treatment. Follow-up exploitation and mop-up operations continued in the affected areas.

The military linked the operations to ongoing restructuring at Headquarters Theatre Command aimed at improving joint integration and operational synergy in the counter-terrorism campaign in the North-East.