The Nigerian Army troops of Operation Hadin Kai and its Air Component have repelled a coordinated attack by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists on Damboa town, killing 16 insurgents in a fierce overnight battle.
This was made known in a post on X by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad region, disclosing that the attack occurred at about 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, when the terrorists simultaneously targeted the Azir Bridge axis and the 25 Task Force Brigade location in Damboa.
Damboa, located in southern part of Borno, has been a frequent target of ISWAP attacks due to its strategic location.
Makama said he was informed by intelligence sources that the troops, supported by indirect fire and air interdictions from the Air Component Command, engaged the terrorists in a sustained firefight that lasted over two hours.
“The main thrust of the terrorists was the brigade location in Damboa, where they attacked en masse. However, the troops responded decisively with heavy firepower, leading to a significant number of enemy casualties,” one of the sources said.
“At least 16 bodies of the terrorists were recovered after the exchange, with several others believed to have fled with gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, two soldiers paid the supreme price during the gun battle with the terrorists,” the security expert said.
Makama also said sources confirmed that while the troops were able to bring the situation under control, an explosion from one of the terrorists’ projectiles caused a fire at an ammunition storage facility, which caused impact to two structures. The fire was promptly contained.
He added that pursuit operations are currently ongoing to track down fleeing terrorists, while clearance operations continue around the general area.
