Troops of the North-East Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, have repelled a coordinated terrorist attack on Kukareta community in Damaturu Local Government Area of Yobe State, killing 24 insurgents and recovering a cache of weapons.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Theatre Command’s spokesperson, Sani Uba, who said the attack occurred in the early hours of April 23, 2026.
According to him, the assault, which began shortly after midnight and lasted until about 3:00 a.m., was met with a swift and coordinated response by troops under Sector 2.
He explained that the soldiers carried out a combined offensive and defensive operation that successfully contained the attack and forced the assailants to retreat in disarray.
“Troops inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists, with 24 neutralised so far,” Uba stated.
He added that ongoing clearance operations led to the recovery of a large quantity of arms and ammunition, including 18 AK-47 rifles, three General Purpose Machine Guns, two PKT anti-aircraft guns, three RPG launchers, two mortar tubes, four hand grenades, and several rounds of ammunition.
Uba disclosed that two soldiers sustained injuries during the encounter but have since been stabilised, while one armoured vehicle was damaged after its tyres were blown out in the course of the fighting.
He further noted that follow-up operations are ongoing to track fleeing insurgents and recover additional weapons and bodies along their withdrawal routes.
