Troops of the Joint Task Force, North-East, under Operation Hadin Kai, have repelled a major assault by suspected Islamic State West Africa Province fighters on a military base in Goniri, Yobe State, killing more than 20 insurgents and seizing a cache of weapons.

The attack, launched under the cover of darkness, targeted troops of Sector 2 deployed in Goniri. According to a statement by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the insurgents attempted a coordinated offensive from multiple directions in an effort to overwhelm and encircle the base.

Surveillance assets first picked up the movement of the fighters advancing simultaneously from Goniri village and the Ngamdu Junction axis. This early detection allowed the troops to prepare defensive positions and call for reinforcements, including air support.

Uba said the soldiers responded with “superior firepower and coordinated defensive manoeuvres,” engaging the attackers in an intense firefight that lasted several hours. Close air support from the air component of Operation Hadin Kai was brought in to strike insurgent positions and disrupt their assault formations.

By the time the battle subsided, more than 20 insurgents had been neutralised. Among the dead, the military identified a senior ISWAP commander, Abu Yusu, described as the Munzir of Dursula, indicating that the group had committed high-value leadership figures to the failed operation.

Troops recovered multiple machine guns, AK-47 rifles, improvised explosive devices, bombs and large quantities of assorted ammunition abandoned by fleeing fighters. The volume and type of weapons recovered suggest the attackers had prepared for a prolonged engagement.

Following the clash, ground forces launched clearance operations in Gwaigomari, within the notorious Timbuktu Triangle, a long-contested insurgent enclave. During these follow-up patrols, additional bodies of terrorists were discovered, reinforcing the scale of ISWAP’s losses.

Uba confirmed that soldiers wounded in the encounter were evacuated to medical facilities and are in stable condition. He stressed that the Goniri location “remains firmly under the control” of Operation Hadin Kai troops.

Security sources say aggressive search and clearance operations are continuing in surrounding communities where surviving insurgents are believed to have retreated, as the military seeks to prevent any regrouping and to consolidate recent gains in the North-East theatre.

Uba reiterated that Operation Hadin Kai remains committed to defeating insurgency and restoring lasting peace across Yobe and the wider region.