At Least 50 ISWAP Fighters and Two Soldiers Killed in Northeast Nigeria Ambush

Nigerian army soldiers killed no fewer than 50 ISWAP terrorists in a late-night ambush on Thursday after the militants launched a mass attack on a military position. m. under the cover of darkness, with the terrorists first striking from the western flank before pushing additional forces from the southern flank along the Ganinga Junction axis.

They later attacked from the south-western flank in an attempt to encircle troops, according to a Nigerian army spokesman. Troops held their ground with exceptional discipline and tactical composure. They employed indirect fires to attrit the enemy while executing an offensive-defensive battle that systematically degraded the assault from all axes.

No part of the camp was breached during the engagement, Nigerian army chiefs said. The terrorists retreated in confusion while evacuating the area, leaving a trail of blood in their wake in some cases. Ten bodies were found nearby after the battle.

Intelligence reports say another 20 bodies were scattered across bushes in neighbouring areas including Gashua, Asare and Kamuya. A large cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the fleeing remnants of ISWAP terrorists. The haul included eight AK-47 rifles, two general-purpose machine guns, two rocket-propelled grenade tubes, five RPG bombs and three improvised explosive device canisters along with ammunition.

"The volume and variety of weapons and ordnance recovered further expose the scale of the terrorists' offensive intent and the totality of their failure," the army stated. Two soldiers died in the operation. Injured personnel are stable and all are receiving appropriate medical attention.